


The Eternity in Your Eyes

by Anonymous_Ostrich



Series: See You Out There - Picard/Q series [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, In Character, M/M, Q doesn't know what to do with emotions, having an omnipotent lover is hard work, picard is honestly overdue for a vacation, romantic schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-10-20 06:27:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10656810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Ostrich/pseuds/Anonymous_Ostrich
Summary: TheEnterprisediscovers a dilapidated shuttle and a pair of unexpected survivors, pulling Picard into a simple but morally distressing humanitarian mission. Meanwhile, he and Q learn what a romantic relationship will mean for one another, and struggle to find a balance between omnipotence and mortality, human and Q.Sequel to 'A Touch of Eternity'.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For timeline clarification purposes, both this story and 'A Touch of Eternity' are taking place in 2376, after _Insurrection_ , the Q civil war and before _Nemesis_. Also, I highly suggest you read the first part of this series before you start this one, as certain things might not make a lot of sense without context. :) Thank you all so much for reading!!!

Hazy. Heated and pulsing, it felt good, _so good_ , they were climbing together, rocking together, panting and grinding toward that pleasurable plateau. Jean-Luc thrust into Q and Q thrust back against him, creating a savage tempo, and it felt so amazing Jean-Luc felt like it couldn't be real, it couldn't possibly be real, he was floating, flying...

"Jean-Luc… Incredible, so incredible… Please, my… p-perfect… _ahh_ \- harder…!"

It was all too much, it was too good, but somehow Jean-Luc felt a barrier to his pleasure as though he couldn't take that final plunge into the release he craved. Everything was too hot, too erotic, too surreal. He could see Q beneath him but it was almost like he wasn't there, like the feelings were overwhelming all other senses.

"Q, I'm close… I'm…"

"Not yet, _mon capitaine_ ," Q's voice was suddenly tame, sneering, no longer lost to pleasure, and Jean-Luc felt a cold swelling of fear and shame in his chest. The room around them seemed to unfold and drop away like false walls of a play, and Jean-Luc's terror mounted.

"Q…"

Q's smirk was like a dagger in his chest. "Don't you think pleasure should be shared amongst friends?"

They were on the bridge, in front of the command chair. With a jolt of horror Jean-Luc realized he was still inside of Q, they were still having sex, and every senior member of his bridge crew was watching on in mute shock and dismay. Jean-Luc tried to pull out but Q locked him in with his legs, grinning up at him, tracing his upper lip with his tongue.

"You thought you could trust this? Trust _me_?" Q asked him, dark eyes gleaming with mischief. Jean-Luc was drowning in the judgmental stares of his crew, frozen to his core by Q's words. Q clicked his tongue. "Jean-Luc, I had such high hopes for you. Turns out you're just as primitive as all the rest. How _very_ disappointing."

He was drowning. Falling.

.

Jean-Luc Picard snapped out of bed with a start, his sheets flying off his heaving chest and bunching around his lap. He stole several ragged pants through his trembling lips, trying to win his breath back. Though his room was still dark, Jean-Luc cast his eyes around his bedroom, absorbing the normality of what he was seeing, striving to cement himself in reality. He took stock of his surroundings: His book on the side table, the empty cup of tea he'd had before bed. Beyond his doorway he could see the corner of his desk, and the purple flower inside its vase.

Only a dream. No, a nightmare.

Jean-Luc raised his hands to his face and sighed into his palms before wiping the sweat from his brow. He glanced to the empty space beside him on the bed. Q rarely stayed all the way through the night. Their date in Paris had been nearly three weeks ago, and Q had only stayed until morning that once. He also hadn't made a single appearance on the ship since they'd begun their relationship, which for Q, seemed entirely out of character. Perhaps a tad worrying.

In times like these, when these unwelcome thoughts pooled in Picard's mind, he took a moment to remind himself that Q was Q, not human nor any variation thereof, and he'd known that from the beginning. He couldn't find himself feeling disappointed that Q didn't need or desire sleep, or that his moods fluctuated in unpredictable ways. These facts - along with many others - came with the package, and Jean-Luc never expected any differently.

Bits and pieces of his troubling nightmare barged their way back into Jean-Luc's consciousness, forcing him to acknowledge the tight discomfort in his shorts.

 _Merde_ , _aren't I a bit too old to be having wet dreams?_

It was early, but Jean-Luc was sure he wouldn't be getting any more sleep. He kicked the sheets off of his legs and carefully stood up, walking with vague discomfort to the bathroom to wash his face and get a shower going. A cold shower. He didn't particularly feel like relieving his tension the old-fashioned way when such unpleasant imagery was still floating around so clearly in his mind.

Jean-Luc splashed his face with cold water once, twice, three times before he felt alert enough to attempt further retrospection. The dream was bothering him. It wasn't just the nature of it, it was the implications of what it represented. What sort of villain had his mind painted Q to be? Regardless of his trustworthiness, his past misdeeds, Q was not so cruel as to humiliate someone in such a way for his own amusement. Just thinking about it made Jean-Luc realize how very innocuous Q had been since their first encounter at Farpoint.

Shedding his clothes, Jean-Luc stepped into the shower, wincing when the cold water poured down over his head. The problem wasn't the dream. It was the uncertainty of Q's feelings, the doubts that this relationship had any real chance of lasting. Q had been clear about his affections, but Jean-Luc still wasn't convinced that he and Q shared the same connotation of love. If someone had asked him years ago, he might have told them with confidence that Q couldn't feel love the way humans experience it, or any other emotion for that matter, and he might have even cited several instances to support his claim. Even so, the two of them already had this conversation, they'd already traversed the topic of the Q's emotional spectrum. It was unfair to continually doubt Q's own word and his recent actions to the contrary but somehow he just couldn't help it.

The hypocrisy of it flared strongly within him, souring his stomach. Hadn't he reprimanded Q for doing the same thing to him, for prematurely assuming Jean-Luc's feelings and projecting his own insecurities onto him? Jean-Luc was always so forceful with Q over the complexity of humanity, so insistent to prove that humans possessed a compassion and willfulness beyond the cold comprehension of the Q that he sometimes forgot he was speaking to a being just as complex, just as willful. Q never argued the other side because he'd never assumed he needed to. Perhaps he should have, at least a little.

Jean-Luc dried off and dressed, snagged a hot coffee from the replicator and sat down at his desk to go over his schedule for the day. After several distracted moments his eyes flicked away from the screen of his terminal and landed on the lovely purple flower still sitting in its vase. He was overthinking things, certainly. If he was too old for wet dreams, he was absolutely too old for such adolescent anxieties. If he had concerns about his relationship with Q, he need only talk with him about it. There was nothing to worry about.

As Jean-Luc brought his coffee to his lips, his combadge beeped up at him urgently, halting the much needed action.

"Data to Captain Picard."

Jean-Luc set down his cup, tapping his badge. "Picard here."

"Captain, I am detecting a transmission emanating from within a nearby system. Our sensors are experiencing solar interference so it is difficult to determine a pattern in the transmission, though due to its repetitive nature, it is likely a distress signal."

"Life signs?" Jean-Luc asked, standing up and smoothing out his uniform. If he was honest, he was glad for a distraction from his thoughts, even if he hadn't had a chance to enjoy his morning coffee.

"I am reading two life forms, sir."

Jean-Luc was already in the hallway, striding toward the turbolift. "On my way."

.

.

.

A Ferengi shuttle, of all things.

Khor 4 was a largely unmapped star system in the Mentira sector, declared underdeveloped by the Federation decades ago. Records showed that seven years prior the largest inhabited planet's sun went nova, destroying all life in the system. There was no good reason for a shuttle to be out here so close to the residual flare, but Ferengi ships rarely showed up for good reason. Though in this case, it seemed especially foolhardy.

Riker took an away team to check the stranded shuttle for survivors.

"Riker to Picard, we've got three dead Ferengi and two stasis chambers carrying living gelfa, if you can believe it."

Jean-Luc stood up from his chair, frowning at thin air, exchanging a look with Data.

"If I can believe it," Picard repeated, wiping his hand over his mouth and chin. "The gelfa homeworld was recorded destroyed when its sun went supernova. What is a Ferengi shuttlecraft doing with two living gelfa?"

Will's combadge didn't screen out his quiet scoff, and Jean-Luc could see in his mind's eye the half eye-roll that accompanied it. "I think we both know the answer to that. Rhymes with 'honey' but it's not nearly so sweet."

"Status of the gelfa?" Jean-Luc asked, anchoring his hands on his hips and turning to stare down the starry tapestry of the bridge view-screen.

"Alive and well, from what we can tell. But locked up tight. Permission to bring them aboard, sir."

Jean-Luc was hoping to have had a strong answer to that request before it was said, but unfortunately he was still considering all of the variables. "Is there any sign of additional Ferengi ships in the sector? Any evidence onboard to suggest they weren't alone out here?"

"The shuttle barely made it out of their ship in one piece, and if there were more ships involved - ships that survived the radiation - I'm positive their associates would have come back to claim the stasis chambers once it was safe to do so."

Jean-Luc sorted through the finer points of the Prime Directive in his mind. There was no interference, no invasion in this case. First contact had already presumably been established, and though the details of the procedure were dubious at best, Picard was certain he'd never heard of any Federation ship violating the Prime Directive by retrieving stasis chambers from a damaged shuttlecraft.

"Captain?"

"Beam them directly to sickbay. Collect whatever logs and records you can from the shuttle to help us determine what happened."

"Aye, sir."

Jean-Luc headed for the turbolift, nodding to Data as he went. "You have the bridge, Mr. Data. I will be meeting our guests in sickbay."

.

.

.

Jean-Luc was late getting off duty and even later getting back to his quarters. He was mentally exhausted. All he wanted was a hot cup of tea, a shower and a good book - not necessarily in that order - but he also wanted to see Q. He couldn't explain why. Usually the last thing he wanted when his mind was weary was to listen to the sound of Q's voice, but there was the small matter of being in a relationship with the entity for over two weeks that seemed to have altered his appreciation for that voice and gave him something to look forward to.

Q appeared just when Jean-Luc assumed he might - as soon as he'd stepped into the shower, naked as the day he was born.

"Oh yes, a marvelous sight indeed, Jean-Luc. How very lovely to see you." Q whistled like a sailor in a rough bar. " _All_ of you."

Jean-Luc didn't turn to the voice he heard behind him, he merely rubbed soap between his hands and began lathering his shoulders and chest.

"Hello, Q. I thought you might have dropped in earlier."

"And miss the show?" Q clicked his tongue. "Perish the thought."

"How could you miss it if you- you know what, nevermind. I'm far too exhausted to try and make sense of you right now."

"Tired, Jean-Luc?" Q's voice lost it's snarky edge, a rare note of concern taking it's place.

Picard sighed, rubbing water over his face and head. "You might say that. We had a rather busy day, what with beaming aboard two extinct lifeforms. Do you know of the gelfa?"

"Oh, yes. Tiny, silly little things." Q's voice was closer, right behind him, and Jean-Luc felt soapy hands touch his back, running along his spine in small, gentle circles to lather his skin. His touch didn't feel erotic, it felt…. Supportive. Comforting, perhaps. It gave Jean-Luc a small thrill, a stirring of affection.

"Then you must know their world was destroyed." Jean-Luc continued, trying hard not to think about how good Q's hands felt rubbing into his skin.

"Forgive me for not gawking in bitter shock."

Jean-Luc cleared his throat pointedly. "Q, at least _pretend_ to have some empathy for mortal life, for the sake of this conversation."

Q groaned and retaliated by pinching the Captain's behind. Jean-Luc reached back to swat his hand away, making a sound from his throat that was something between a chuckle and a grunt. "Fine, but I don't have to like it." Q tittered softly.

"Q…!"

Q nestled his chin in the bend of Picard's neck, and Jean-Luc could feel him smile against his skin. "Continue, Jean-Luc. You beamed aboard two sweet, sad, homeless gelfa. However did you come into possession of two purportedly extinct creatures?"

Jean-Luc wrestled with his emerging arousal, determined to get through a single conversation without it somehow dissolving into sexual overtures. He sighed, ordering the shower's computer to cool the water by 10 degrees before continuing. "It seems a Ferengi vessel had abducted a pair of gelfa just before their world was destroyed. Their logs showed that they had planned to make several similar trips, but they'd miscalculated the time of the supernova. Badly. Their ship was destroyed, and they attempted to escape on a shuttle but the shields were badly damaged by radiation, it seems. The gelfa were protected by the stasis chambers, but the Ferengi weren't so lucky."

The water shut off at Jean-Luc's command. Before he could turn around a flash of light dropped a towel into his hands, and Q appeared sitting on the sink behind him, one of his knees pulled to his chest.

"And how fortunate for the gelfa to have been found and rescued by the _Enterprise_ ," Q said with a grin. "A happy ending to their sad, orphaned existence, surely. Will you be giving them jobs onboard the ship? Maybe replicate some tiny little Starfleet uniforms for them to wear?"

Jean-Luc squinted at Q suspiciously as he patted himself dry. "I'm getting the distinct impression that you think this is all very humorous, Q. You didn't have anything to do with us finding the shuttle, did you?"

"Of course not," Q frowned in mock offense, "I am _more_ than aware of your many rules, Jean-Luc. I'm only trying to add to the conversation. And since we're being honest, if I wanted to give you an interesting mission, I certainly could have found something more enthralling than dead Ferengi and orphaned forest children."

Jean-Luc stared Q down for a moment as he pulled on a light blue robe, tying it loosely around his waist, dropping his gaze with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. It's still very new, this concept of holding a conversation with you that doesn't end with me telling you to get off my ship, or you pulling me into some ridiculously impossible situation."

"I'll miss your delightful, self-righteous speeches," Q said, looking to the ceiling with a wistful sigh.

"Oh, I'm sure you haven't heard the last of them," Jean-Luc chuckled. He left the bathroom, ordering an earl grey from the replicator as Q blinked into the room, appearing on the bed wearing a matching robe in soft peach. He sat back against the pillows, crossing his arms over his exposed chest.

"So? When are you waking up the little goblins from their beauty rest?"

Jean-Luc blew over his tea, joining Q in the bedroom but choosing to pace in front of the bed.

"The chambers are locked with three separate security codes, and we couldn't find any of them in their logs."

"Protecting their precious investment, how very shrewd! Surely Data or Geordi can find a way to bypass _Ferengi_ security measures." Q couldn't suppress a snort. Jean-Luc fell quiet, tapping his pointer finger thoughtfully against his cup. Q tilted his head, a brow raised in intrigue. "Unless, for some reason, you don't _want_ to wake them up…?"

Q's question brought Picard back to attention, and he glanced at Q with clear uncertainty in his eyes. "Wake them up to what, I wonder?" he said somewhat bitterly. "They are the last of their kind. Instead of allowing them to perish with the rest of their world, they were forcibly taken by aliens they didn't know existed into a vessel they could have never imagined, and I would be the man to explain it all to them in vivid detail. They have no family, no world, no future and no understanding of the world they're about to wake up to." He sighed heavily. "I suppose I'm debating the morality of the issue. Part of me wonders if it might be kinder to let them sleep forever."

"My, that doesn't sound like you," Q tutted, frowning. "Where's all of your determined optimism? Your heroic resolve?"

"It's hard to be optimistic when the future of the gelfa is so unimaginably bleak."

Q leaned forward onto his knees. "It almost sounds as though you wish they'd simply died on that planet with the rest of their species."

Jean-Luc sat on the edge of his bed, frowning down at his sheets. "They might wake up wishing the same thing."

"They most assuredly will - if they don't die from shock first - but that doesn't mean you have to get all mopey about it," Q offered, crawling over to Jean-Luc to rest his chin on the man's shoulder and wrap his arms around his chest.

"What would you do, were you in my place?" Jean-Luc asked.

Q chuckled against his nape. "I'm not sure I should answer that inquiry if my plans of having sex with you tonight are to go smoothly."

Jean-Luc laughed through his nose. "Humor me, Q."

"If it were up to me, I'd spit them into space and be done with it." Q admitted, peppering the back of Jean-Luc's neck with soft kisses. "But you were expecting that, I'll bet."

"More or less," Jean-Luc sighed. "Normally this would be the part where I argue with you, tell you that you're being cold and despicable, and try to make you see things from my point of view - humanity's point of view."

Q pulled away, shifting to glance at Jean-Luc's face with suspicion. "If I didn't know better, Picard, I would say you asked me my opinion just so you could remind yourself what you _shouldn't_ do."

Jean-Luc offered a half-grin. "Consider it your own unique way of helping me through a difficult decision."

"Really, Jean-Luc. Shame on you."

Jean-Luc leaned in to kiss Q in apology. "Enough of all that. I fear my brain may be near to exploding if I think about it any more tonight. Commander Data and Commander La Forge are still looking to crack the security codes, they'll let me know if they hit on anything. Though I can't help but hope they don't figure it out until morning or mid-afternoon, so that I might attack this situation with a clear head." Jean-Luc sat straight and took a deep gulp of his tea, taking a moment to savor the warmth trickling down his throat. "Q, I'm curious about something."

Q leaned on his side, glancing up at Jean-Luc with dark, glittering eyes. "Oh?"

There was a contemplative silence for only a moment as Jean-Luc's brows pinched into something of a frown. "I suppose I've found myself wondering why I haven't seen you aboard the ship since we started... seeing each other." he said. "Weeks ago it seemed to me you expressed interest in spending time with me _outside_ of the bedroom."

Q hummed. "I might have. So hard to remember the specifics when I was otherwise distracted with something… well, distracting." He grinned darkly, pushing himself up and moving in close - almost predatorily - to lay hot kisses to Jean-Luc's throat. "Speaking of distractions, maybe you're in need of one. There is _entirely_ too much talking going on, _mon capitaine_."

"Q," Jean-Luc shuddered under his touch, his body agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment but his mind fighting urgently not to be dissuade. "Q, please. I'm getting at a question here."

Q groaned childishly and pulled back, leveling Jean-Luc an impatient glare. "A question I was trying to _avoid_ , if you couldn't tell."

"Is there a reason you don't want to answer?" Jean-Luc asked, raising a brow.

"Oh no of course not," Q scoffed with an eye-roll. "I am _thrilled_ to admit that I have no more desire to fraternize with your fleshy human crew than you are to discuss quantum mechanics with a pile of tribbles."

Picard stood up, turning away from Q to rest his hands loosely on his hips. He stared hard at the floor. "Q, did you just honestly compare my crew to small, non-sentient balls of fluff?"

There was a profound silence as Q seemed to realize the gravity of what he'd implied. He cleared his throat, a pointless gesture for an omnipotent entity, but useful for stalling. "Well... When you say it like that, it sounds so _offensive_! Tribbles are ridiculously adorable, you know. With the most precious little purrs!"

Jean-Luc rounded on him, jaw clenched. "It's no secret that the Q consider humanity beneath them. But when we started this, when you told me you had feelings for me, I asked you if you still shared those views. You assured me you were starting to see things differently."

Q grimaced. " _Starting_ , Picard, _starting_. If it's any consolation, I no longer consider humanity a completely barbaric, aimless, primitive species."

"No, of course not," Jean-Luc said scathingly, "We've now graduated to tribbles, apparently."

Q's expression melted into something dark and vaguely vexing. He stood from the bed, snake-like, eyes unblinking and fixed on Picard's face. "You know, I'm getting awfully tired of this song and dance, Picard. You admonish me at every turn and I've taken it, I've tried to be understanding, but my patience is running incredibly thin. Why should it matter to you what I think of the others? I've made it clear how I feel about _you_ , which is all that should matter!"

Jean-Luc squared his shoulders, anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach. It was almost nostalgic. "In case you've forgotten, let me remind you that these 'others' you refer to are no different than myself. We are human. I am not any more or less mortal or remarkable than any one member of my crew."

"Such modesty," Q sneered, crossing his arms. "I am aware that you are human, Johnny. I'm not the one trying to elevate _you_ to some Q-like level to make myself _feel_ better."

The anger in Jean-Luc's stomach flared with indignance. "Are you implying that I'm somehow attempting to... _humanize_ you?"

"Oh this is nothing new in our relationship, don't act so scandalized," Q answered. "From the moment we met all you've tried to do is tell me how wrong the Q are, how immoral, how arrogant and crass-"

"When we first met, you kidnapped my crew and unfairly put me _on trial_ -"

"- _AND_ , ever since that day your righteous speeches and morality plays haven't ceased for a single moment! Even now, even when I'm willing to accept and abide by your rules and your compromises, I'm _still_ not human enough for you, and I suspect I never will be."

Jean-Luc drew a sharp breath in through his nose and let it out slow. "Q. I've never wanted you to _be_ human. All I've ever wanted was for you to stop lording over us and to start understanding us. And my only fear about this romantic venture has been that you still won't, still don't." He glanced away, his jaw relaxing, his fury simmering into dull disappointment. "Perhaps… Perhaps you're right. We're too different. I might never be able to stop lecturing you about humanity, and you might never see me as anything more than a conversational tribble." He set his tea down on the low table near his hip. "This won't work, Q."

Q's arms unfolded slowly, his eyes going slightly wide with what looked like genuine hurt. The sight of it twisted Jean-Luc's stomach into a sick knot of guilt, and for a wild moment he wanted to take it back, to ask Q to snap this moment away although he knew it wouldn't change anything.

When Q spoke, his voice was low. "Well. What a very _human_ conclusion to draw." He stepped closer, stopping only when they were a hairsbreadth from each other. He stared down into Jean-Luc's eyes with cold intensity. "You were correct on one point: I don't understand you, Picard, not completely. But I was more than prepared to try."

With a sharp snap of his fingers, Q was gone in a flash of light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would say this is their first tiff, but their relationship was pretty much built on antagonism and philosophical debates sooooo  
> Come on guys! Kiss and make up! ~~Spoiler alert: they will~~
> 
> The story will update every Monday! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed, the feedback is appreciated! ɾ⚈▿⚈ɹ


	2. Chapter 2

There was very little information about the gelfa home world in the Federation database. Khor 4 was untouched by anything more sophisticated than a probe sent by a small Starfleet vessel thirty years before Jean-Luc had been offered command of the _Enterprise-D_ , and all it managed to collect was a series of pictures of the surface and statistical records of the planet's atmosphere, terrain and weather patterns. Useless information after the fact, but Jean-Luc appreciated information even if it was of very little value to his situation. Something was better than nothing and all that.

Unfortunately, no studies or analysis had been done on the behaviors, beliefs or lifestyles of the gelfa. They still lived in huts and small houses, they were peaceful, they still used crude tools and lived among nature - at least, the pictures pulled from the database showed as much. It was enough for Geordi and Barclay to recreate a convincing holodeck simulation of their world, but it wasn't quite enough to ease Jean-Luc's concerns about waking the gelfa from their sleep.

Jean-Luc glanced through the foggy window of the stasis chamber to observe the face of its sleeping occupant. The gelfa appeared childlike, but all bioscans indicated they were both young adults. Their hair was wild, thick and lightly colored and their skin was a rich, dark bronze. Their arms were slightly more elongated than a typical humanoid and their skulls were sloped and long from the nose to the back of the head. They were dressed in furs and ragged cloth, neither style differing from the other in any significant way; for all Jean-Luc knew, they could be siblings, mates, or perhaps even strangers.

"Eighteen hours?" Jean-Luc asked Data, his brow scrunching into a frown, "They were adrift for seven years, are we certain the chambers are still in proper working order?"

Data joined Picard at his side, mimicking his posture to stare into the chamber. "I have performed several thorough diagnostic scans on the pod systems, and I believe they are still running efficiently. However, these stasis chambers are older models and are lacking several modern features, such as a self-restorative modulator, which would normally help bypass stasis shock. Once we unlock the pods, the system will need approximately eighteen hours to shut down its processors and begin stabilizing the gelfa's condition and lifesigns."

Beverly shouldered her way in between the men, eyes focused on the tricorder in her hands. She pointed the device through the window and moved it slowly along the length of the female's face, studying the readings. "Basically, these old hunks of junk insist on doing what I could easily do myself," she said, pressing her lips together in a thin line. "And I could do in far less time, I might point out."

"Perhaps it's for the best," Picard offered. "We'd have to wake them up in sickbay otherwise. I'd rather not expose them to our technology so soon, if I can help it."

Beverly sighed, lowering her tricorder. "You're right. It won't be easy to explain to them what's happened, but at least with Geordi's program they can wake up to something familiar."

Jean-Luc nodded and slowly straightened his spine, crossing his arms over his chest. "Mr. Data, when you are able to open these locks, have them beamed to holodeck 3. We'll run Mr. La Forge's program and return when they are ready to wake up."

"I believe I am close, Captain. The locking mechanisms appear to have been modified by the Ferengi merchants, making a safe unlock unnecessarily difficult. I believe they were trying to protect their investment, but in actuality they created an unstable failsafe on the locking mechanisms. I believe if they had successfully escaped the system and attempted to unlock the pods without realizing their error, the internal regulator would have malfunctioned, which would have resulted in the death of both gelfa."

Beverly sighed, sliding her tricorder into her cardigan pocket. "So, not only did they kidnap these poor creatures in hopes of selling them off once their species was extinct, but they almost _killed_ them to boot?" She shook her head, her eyes lit up with passion. "Even for Ferengi, isn't that a bit cold-hearted?"

Jean-Luc frowned at one of the pods in consideration. "I have to admit, I haven't run into any Ferengi trade vessels carrying sentient beings as cargo. I imagine Starfleet would have stepped in, were this a more common practice. No, I have to imagine these merchants were working privately. Maybe for some interstellar black market."

Beverly shrugged. "Whoever they worked for, I can't say I'm sorry about what happened to them." Her expression softened and she glanced at Picard curiously. "Have you thought about what you'll say? You know, when they wake up?"

Jean-Luc smiled in appreciation for Beverly's concern. "I think I'll manage. First contact protocol might not completely apply here, but this isn't exactly the first time we've had guests from an underdeveloped planet on the _Enterprise_."

"True, but it's the first time we've been faced with the last two of an entire species." She put her hands on her hips, casting her eyes on the pods with a delicate frown on her lips. "Explaining space travel alone is overwhelming for almost any creature living in a pre-warp civilization… But on top of that, we have to tell them that they are the last of their kind. I hate to say it, but it might have been kinder if-"

"If we had simply spit them into space?" Jean-Luc finished, forgetting to mask his bitterness. Both Beverly and Data turned to look at him with matching looks of surprise; Jean-Luc cleared his throat and shook his head. "I'm sorry, of course I don't mean to suggest we do something so barbaric. Someone said that to me a few nights ago, and I suppose it's stuck with me."

Beverly smiled in understanding. "Well, we're certainly traversing a morally gray area right now, Jean-Luc. I can't help having those sorts of thoughts myself."

Data frowned in the way he usually did he when he was attempting to discern the finer points of human morality. "Since they are the last of their race, with no world to call their own and no chance of successfully repopulating their species, it would be more practical - though generally frowned upon - to deactivate the life support functions of their pods to humanely euthanize them." He glanced up at his Captain and fellow Commander, brows raised in intrique. "However, speaking as a lifeform who is technically the last of his species, I believe we are taking the correct course of action in waking them up. I believe the gelfa should be allowed to assess their situation to the best of their ability, and then given the opportunity to choose how they wish to live after all of the necessary information is presented to them."

Jean-Luc grinned fondly and nodded. "Very right, Mr. Data. Every lifeform deserves to be the master of their own fate, and the gelfa are no exception." He sighed and tugged his uniform into place. "I'll leave you to it. If you need me, I'll be on the bridge."

.

.

.

It took Data two more days to safely bypass the security measures on the stasis chambers, and it had been four days total since Jean-Luc had traded heated, stinging words with Q in his quarters. Four days since he'd seen him, touched him, and although four days was not a particularly significant span of time - especially where Q was concerned - Jean-Luc had grown so used to his company each night it felt as though he was being unfairly denied something.

Jean-Luc sipped his tea, his eyes continually wandering from his terminal to focus on the purple flower sitting prettily in its vase. He hadn't quite summoned the fortitude to put it out of sight, not yet, although it seemed silly to hang onto it. He wasn't sure he would ever see Q again, not after what he said to him, the ugly thing he'd suggested while caught in the heat of debate.

In retrospect, Jean-Luc thought perhaps he'd been too harsh. He'd let his anxieties get the better of him, and the added stress of the gelfa's arrival only shortened his fuse. Q's accusation of attempting to humanize him rang a shade closer to truth than he'd wanted to admit at the time. Now that he'd had time to think on it, he supposed Q was right. They'd only been in a relationship for three weeks and already Jean-Luc was expecting Q - an omnipotent being who had lived for eons before Jean-Luc had come into the universe - to alter his entire moral center to better suit himself.

He wanted to apologize. At the same time, he was still cross at Q for leaving like he did, for snapping away in the middle of their argument without even giving him a chance to cool off or to admit that he'd gone too far.

That was always Q's way, ever determined to get the last word.

Jean-Luc finished his tea and dimmed the lights. He needed rest, he needed to stop thinking. If all went according to plan, the gelfa would be awake in nine hours and it was imperative he be present to welcome them to their new life and answer any questions they might have for him. Jean-Luc couldn't particularly say that he was looking forward to it, but he felt an enormous responsibility to them, a strong sense of duty to see to their comfort and continued existence. He'd made the decision to wake them despite their pitiable situation - 'playing God', some might call it. The least he could do was make it as pleasant as possible for them.

Jean-Luc slipped into bed, pulling the sheets up around his chin and shifting onto his side. The space behind him was cold, empty. It was shocking how quickly one could get used to something purely physical, a simple presence taking up space that somehow made drifting into sleep more enjoyable. He missed the feeling of Q in his bed. And if he thought about it more deeply, he knew it wasn't just physical. Q was always more than just a physical presence, even before they'd started sleeping together. The effect had simply amplified since then, become a more integral part of his everyday life. And he missed it. Terribly.

There was no use thinking about it now, but lonely thoughts were so much more easily roused just before the quietude of sleep. With all the discipline he'd managed to accumulate throughout his many years wearing a Starfleet uniform, Picard cleared his mind as best he could and forced his body and mind to relax, to sleep.

.

.

.

It was rare to wake to something other than a voice calling to him over the comm system or his own alarm, but as Jean-Luc roused from sleep, he did so because someone was slowly kissing the back of his neck.

Clarity crashed down on him and he shifted only slightly to better understand what was happening; a pair of arms tightened around him, and he realized he was being hugged from behind. Q's lips found gentle leverage behind his ear, his breath hot against Jean-Luc's nape.

"Please don't send me away," came Q's quiet plea, resting his forehead against Jean-Luc's shoulder. Jean-Luc felt a rush of affection and unbridled happiness overtake him, almost dizzying in its intensity. Before he'd heard that voice and felt that warm body curled against him he hadn't truly faced the enormity of his own feelings for Q, or perhaps he'd needed to be humbled to appreciate how much Q meant to him. In the heat of the moment he wanted to apologize profusely for everything he'd said four nights ago, but he forced himself to think rationally. There would be time for that.

"I won't." Jean-Luc said firmly, his voice still gravelly from sleep. "This isn't a dream, is it?"

"No." Q sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "If it were, would it be a nice dream, or one you'd rather forget?"

"It would be the sort of dream I wouldn't want to wake up from. The kind that once it's gone, you feel like you've lost something." Jean-Luc answered truthfully. "I'm glad you're here."

Jean-Luc thought he heard Q's breathing hitch. "My sentiments exactly, _mon capitaine_."

There was soft grunting and shifting as Jean-Luc worked to turn over and Q released him to let him do so. They lay on their sides facing each other, noses nearly touching. The moment Jean-Luc searched those dark eyes he was forced to steel himself, at risk of forgoing conversation and skipping straight to kissing and touching.

"Q, I was a fool. I can't claim that I didn't mean some of what I said to a certain extent, but I took it too far. You were right. I was humanizing you, and it was unfair of me. I apologize."

Q's eyes lit up in surprise, his lips parting to reveal a pleased smile. "I was expecting an apology only _after_ I'd offered my own," Q chuckled softly, reaching up to graze the pads of his fingers over Jean-Luc's cheek. "How you surprise me, Jean-Luc."

"You came here to apologize?" Jean-Luc asked quizzically.

"For leaving like I did." Q said softly. "And for not being entirely truthful, yes."

Jean-Luc tried to keep his frown more thoughtful than accusatory. "How exactly were you being untruthful?"

Q exhaled slowly. "I… I want to do this 'communication' thing that human relationships seem so reliant on, but I want to try doing it my way. At least this once, so that I can explain properly."

Four days without seeing or hearing from Q had left Jean-Luc unnaturally compliant to the entity's whims. "Fine. What do you propose?" he inquired.

"Just like that?" Q chirped, eyes blown open in surprise.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Q. Tell me what you need me to do, and I'll do it."

Q watched Jean-Luc's face for a long moment, his expression hard to read. "Lay on your back and close your eyes." he finally said.

The vague request was met with no resistance. Jean-Luc rolled onto his back, knitting his hands together at his stomach. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose and let it out slowly. "Now what?"

Beside him, Jean-Luc could feel Q drawing up to lean over him. When he spoke, he wasn't hearing him with his ears, he was hearing him inside of his mind.

( _Nothing. Just relax yourself and keep breathing, just as you are now_.) Q's physical hand gently brushed Jean-Luc's jaw, and between the disembodied voice and the soft touch Jean-Luc thought he felt some sort of energy jolt through his body, striking him deeply. It turned his muscles to jelly and sank his mind into something akin to slumber, but his consciousness was still very much aware. ( _Magnifique, mon capitaine, just perfect_. _Focus on my voice, and your breathing. When I tell you, open your eyes. But not a moment sooner_.)

Jean-Luc wasn't usually fond of surprises, but there was a thrill inside of him now that he couldn't ignore. Behind his back he could feel a pocket of air - his own breath, he realized - slowly expanding, pushing something up and out of him. His consciousness almost seemed to float away from the rest of him, urged on by his steady breathing and Q's silky voice.

There was a rushing sound growing around him, increasing in tenacity the farther away Jean-Luc floated. All at once, everything stopped and Jean-Luc suddenly felt as though he were standing on solid ground, the rushing sound tapering off into a distant whir.

( _You can open your eyes. Slowly, Jean-Luc_.)

It took a moment for Jean-Luc to comply. When he attempted to open his eyes the usual way, he found he still couldn't see anything. It was as if he didn't have eyelids to begin with. As soon as this thought struck him, another slid into place. Jean-Luc focused his mind, urging himself to see what was around him. As soon as he tried thinking about it, his surroundings slowly bloomed into life - not all at once, but in patches, coming together to form a jarring picture.

Picard looked around in awe. In every direction, endless space stretched out before him. Had Q dropped him into a nebula? A never-ending spectrum of colors spread as far as Jean-Luc could see, forming clouds and trails of shimmering lights. Though it looked like a nebula, Jean-Luc could feel life pulsing all around him, like he was existing inside of a colossal creature. There was no up, no down. It was only this expanse of color, dust and shimmering light, and somehow Jean-Luc was standing in the heart of it all.

Looking down at himself, Jean-Luc could see his body but knew it wasn't real. It was just a projection to help keep his mind from stressing itself, an avatar he or Q had conjured up to help him navigate this impossible scenario. He flexed his fingers, squeezed his hand into a fist. His feet gave the illusion of standing on firm ground but the sensations were dulled, like his brain was struggling to impose the feeling of physicality even though he knew it was false. The human mind really was a funny thing.

( _Well? Don't just stand there, say something!_ ) Q's voice was vibrating from everywhere, shifting the space and the colors with each intonation. ( _You're making me feel self-conscious!_ )

Jean-Luc looked around, taking a few steps into infinity. He tried to speak but remembered he didn't technically have a voice, nor a mouth. He attempted to focus his intentions into words.

 _Q, is this… you?_ His own voice surprised him; like Q's, it came from everywhere, though it didn't alter the space he occupied in any noticeable way. _Have you brought me into yourself?_

( _I wasn't really sure what the best method would be for something like this, but you've settled in quite nicely. This is as much 'me' as I can manage to show you with only the limitations of your mortality to work with._ ) The clouds nearest to Jean-Luc changed to a yellow hue. ( _No offense._ )

 _None taken_. Jean-Luc used his imaginary legs to traverse the space, admiring the sparkling lights that resembled stars and the colorful clusters of dust and mist. _Q, you're beautiful. Breathtaking, in fact._

( _Jean-Luc Picard, you charmer. Though, I do feel it necessary to remind you that I can't show you my_ true _form. Despite how absolutely extraordinary you are for a human, you wouldn't be able to comprehend it._ )

_Oh yes, I remember. You've reminded me once or twice in the past._

( _What do I look like to you?_ ) Q asked curiously. ( _You said I was beautiful. What are you seeing?_ )

_You don't know?_

( _I'm not reading your mind, nor will I while you're in this form. It seems almost redundant, considering you're currently having an out-of-body experience in my brain_.)

Jean-Luc chuckled, reaching out his hand to trail his fingers through one of Q's thought-clouds. It felt oddly warm. _When I first saw you, I mistook you for a nebula. Now that I've had a chance to look more closely, I see neural pathways and synapses, emotions and ideas. Still remarkably beautiful_. He passed through a cloud of deep violet and thought he could feel something within it, an old memory perhaps. _Q, you spoke of communication… Have you invited me into your consciousness to show me something?_

( _I wanted to show you how I really feel. Words and poems just aren't good enough, Jean-Luc_.) The hues of Q's mind shifted from pink to red to blue. Jean-Luc was beginning to feel the change of colors as emotions, washing over him only long enough for him to speculate on each individual feeling. He was starting to get better at identifying them on a simplistic level.

Affection, worry, anxiety. Pain.

The stinging nettle, there it was.

_Q… I'm sorry if I made you feel like you needed to prove something to me. When we last spoke, I let my own insecurities and anxieties get in the way of my judgement. I spoke harshly, and-_

( _Hey, don't hog_ all _the credit_.) The clouds flashed yellow. Regret. ( _This isn't all on you. We both said things we wished he hadn't. Or rather, we wished we'd said them another way. You were right, Jean-Luc. We_ are _different, and our differences are making it difficult for us to trust what we want to be to one another. To do that, I want you to see me as I am, or as close to it as you are able._ )

Jean-Luc felt a swelling of affection in his consciousness, and the colors around him changed accordingly. He realized how intimate this really was, stepping inside of Q's being like this, seeing every piece of him spread out and unmasked, like the first time they'd made love but even more vulnerable than that. Had his anxiety really been so apparent so as to make this invasion necessary?

 _I hope that I haven't… driven you to some uncomfortable action just because of my misgivings._ Jean-Luc said apologetically. _You're allowed just as much privacy as anyone. If you'd rather I not be here-_

( _It's not "here", it's "me". I_ want _you to see me. I've always wanted you to see me, but now it has more meaning_.) For a fleeting moment Jean-Luc thought he felt lips brushing over his neck, though nothing was physically there. ( _Also… It's easier for me to talk about certain things like this_.)

Jean-Luc reached out to touch a swirling cloud of rapidly blinking lights, all of which dimmed when his fingers ran through them. There was a tingle against the palm of his false hand, like the purr of a cat, and he saw a flicker of a memory he couldn't understand in his mind's eye.

 _Like what, exactly?_ Jean-Luc asked.

( _Like my mistruths when we last spoke_.)

With Q's answer came a vague picture that manifested itself somewhere in front of Jean-Luc - though he realized rather quickly it didn't exist in a fixed point, but rather where ever he looked it was in his line of vision, replaying the events of their argument from several nights ago. As the scene played itself out, something else was happening. The space around him lit up with color and light, pumping a plethora of emotions and ephemeral sensations into Jean-Luc's consciousness. It was almost too much to take. Ideas and thoughts flooded into his mind, the intensity fading and becoming something more manageable the longer he held onto them. It became easier to sift through them all and identify how each feeling correlated to each moment, and altogether it began to form a picture.

Jean-Luc's vision came back into focus, and the images of their argument faded along with the torrent of emotions.

_Q… When you told me you weren't interested in spending time on the Enterprise, you were… afraid?_

There was a pause, though for how long, Jean-Luc couldn't be sure.

( _Yes_.)

 _Why?_ Jean-Luc asked gently. _What are you afraid of?_

The color around him seemed to wilt into something sheepish, soft blues and yellow. ( _I don't think it's any surprise by now that your crew doesn't exactly celebrate whenever I drop in for a visit,_ ) Q said. Jean-Luc could feel Q's anxieties washing over him like the spray of an ocean wave. ( _With the exception of your metal man, your people don't like me very much. And I expect that won't be changing anytime soon._ _I want to see you outside of the bedroom, Jean-Luc, but the thought of tediously trying to win the trust of your crew terrifies me to my core. They'll never accept me, you know. They'll never accept my feelings for you, not in a thousand lifetimes_.)

Jean-Luc was too stunned to answer right away, though for the first time since opening his eyes he wished they were both in their physical bodies. The urge to touch Q, even just his hand or his shoulder, was intense.

 _Maybe some of them won't, but they don't have to. The only person who needs to accept it is right here, talking to you now. And I do. Sincerely, I do_. The clouds and dust tinged a deep rose, and another color that Jean-Luc had never even seen before. He could feel relief, affection. Deep adoration, the sort of profound love that put Jean-Luc's past romantic flings to absolute shame. The sensation urged Jean-Luc to continue. _You don't have to face them alone, Q. I can arrange a meeting among the senior officers to explain the situation, to let them know that you'll be around the ship more often. My crew trust my judgement, and they're not as grudging as you imagine they are. None of us have considered you an enemy for some time_ _now_.

There was that sensation again, like Q's lips trailing gently over his skin, but this time it was everywhere, making Jean-Luc shudder. Though technically he was standing alone, he could feel Q's presence all around him; in spite of the fact he felt the loss of physicality he was so used to, he'd never felt closer to Q than he was right now. The longer he stayed, the stronger he felt their connection deepen. It was becoming easier to feel Q's intentions, easier to speak to Q using only his mind.

( _Naturally. I was never really worried to begin with_.)

Jean-Luc chuckled. _Liar. The amount of relief I can feel from you is almost suffocating me._

In retaliation, Jean-Luc felt a sharp pinch on his side, followed by a ghost-like kiss to his chest. ( _How dare you embarrass me whilst I bare my soul to you!_ ) Q admonished teasingly. ( _Shame on you, Jean-Luc_.) The kisses on his chest moved up his neck and stopped on his jaw, the sensation of teeth pressing into his faux skin. Jean-Luc couldn't withhold a moan, though in his present form it came out as a sort of vibration that shook the space around him.

_Q… How are you creating these feelings? It feels so real, so… physical._

( _It_ is _real. Our minds are overlapping, and all I can think about it making you feel good. Your consciousness is receiving that intention and putting it into terms you can understand_.) There was a smile in his voice, a dark purr, and Jean-Luc shivered under his ethereal touch, groaning with need. He could feel Q's hands on his skin, roaming freely, touching every inch of his body - no, his consciousness. His essence was thrumming with excitement, trying to allow his focus to fade so that he could enjoy the sensations Q was feeding him more thoroughly and without direction.

Jean-Luc's facade of a body was beginning to crumble along with his focus, dissolving into pure consciousness which made seeing his surroundings as physical matter impossible. The intricate nebula of Q's essence melted away to leave only the colors and sensations, plunging Jean-Luc's mind into sensory overload. Each time he thought it was too much, the pressure was relieved - Q's doing, no doubt - until finally he was left in a comfortable state of disarray, sinking deeper into Q's consciousness.

( _Jean-Luc, ask me if I love you._ ) Q's voice was husky and encompassing. The pleasure was now focused somewhere in Jean-Luc's center, spreading through him like tendrils of crackling energy. Jean-Luc experimented sending back those same sensations, focusing only on giving Q the pleasure he was feeling. It appeared to work, if the violent color changes and vibrations surrounding him were anything to go by.

 _Q, do you love me?_ Jean-Luc gasped out, not bothering to ask why Q would have requested something so specific of him. He knew why, and he braced himself for the answer just before it crashed over him, dashing every other thought from his mind.

Red, lavender, rose, yellow, pink, baby blue. The onslaught of emotions were almost painful in their tenacity, and the colors associated with them were trying to carve a space into Jean-Luc's center. He did nothing to resist. He accepted it all, overwhelmed by the enormity of it, shocked beyond words that all of this was for him and him alone. What had he done to deserve it? Q was by no means perfect or divine, but he was still God-like in nature and could have anyone or anything in the universe he desired for companionship. And yet here was Jean-Luc, feeling emotions that went far beyond mortal love wash over him from only a single inquiry, and all of it was directed at him, a conversational tribble.

( _It was never my intention to compare humanity to tribbles._ ) Q's voice cut through the wave of unending emotions, and Jean-Luc felt another hot surge of pleasure deep in his center. ( _It was a poor choice of words. I know you are human, Jean-Luc, but that makes little difference to me. I crave your company, only yours. Do you know what that's like?_ )

 _I'm -_ ahh _, I'm beginning to._

( _I have access to an entire Continuum of others like myself, so-called 'equals', but ever since meeting you, I found myself more inclined to come to your ship, to fix myself to your particular point in linear time to rile you up and listen to your speeches about humanity. I'd rather sit through one of your reprimands than do anything else in the universe. I don't know what to label that phenomenon if not your human definition of love._ )

Something hot pulsed in Jean-Luc's center, an explosion of color, stardust and something stronger, more demanding. It was Q, all of him, or at least as much of him as Jean-Luc was able to hold within himself. Their two beings were overlapping, perhaps merging, and although Jean-Luc knew he should be concerned about this sort of inhuman joining he found that he completely trusted Q with his safety. Q felt his sentiments, and another tremor of pleasure shot through Jean-Luc, so powerful he thought he might be ripped to pieces.

 _Q… Q…!_ Jean-Luc's thoughts were unhinged. With no physical body, all he could do was feel the sensations rush over him, consume him, and try to withstand it all without losing himself in it. He could feel Q deep in his center, keeping him tied together to ensure he survived the experience.

( _There's no release for you in this form. Just endless pleasure_.)

 _You say that… ahh… like it's a bad thing_.

( _I can't say I wouldn't like to keep you here for a couple hundred years, but I've grown to enjoy watching your body convulse in human ecstasy. Clear your mind and relax, dear. I'm taking you back_.)

_W-wait, not yet. I need to tell you something while I'm here, in this form._

The space shifted. The colors began to form a spiral, all of them melding into a sharp point, and Jean-Luc could tell his intentions had reached Q even before he'd said anything from the violent tremble in the atmosphere, like Q was holding his feelings behind a cracking dam.

 _Q, I love you._ The tremble became a quake. _I love you in any form you take, desperately and completely. I will love you until the end of my life, and beyond even that_. Jean-Luc felt his own emotions pouring out from within, uncontrollable, and Q drank them in like a dying man in the desert. It was liberating and terrifying, being able to convey such a sentiment so nakedly, and it only increased his longing. Q had brought him here to do the same thing, to shower Jean-Luc in the truth of his feelings. For someone like Q, who always relied on tricks, teasing and deception as his preferred method of communication, such an offering was beyond anything Jean-Luc could comprehend.

Jean-Luc felt a rough tug in his center, and the colors and emotions suddenly felt as though they were swirling together, creating a long tunnel. There was another rushing sound like turbulent water all around him, and Jean-Luc's consciousness began to form more solidity, more substance, until finally he felt his physical body jerk and he slammed back into himself, gasping for air, dazed, his entire body tingling from the experience. An instant later he felt as normal as when he'd first woken to Q's touch, and Q was touching him again, kissing him deeply, their physical bodies pressing into each other with hot insistence. Jean-Luc was overcome with lust as Q groaned into his mouth and ground down against him, his arms anchored firmly on either side of the Captain's head.

They pulled apart, panting, and Q's face came into focus, staring down at Jean-Luc with actual tears in his eyes. Jean-Luc could think of no sight more shocking to wake up to.

"Say it again," Q rasped out, his voice husky and desperate. Jean-Luc's chest swelled with affection, and he raised his hands - he had hands again, it almost didn't feel comfortable - to hold Q's face gently.

"I love you," Jean-Luc answered, almost a whisper. Q's expression barely twitched, but Jean-Luc could see the breath catch in his throat, the tremble in his adam's apple. Why oh why hadn't he said these words sooner? They felt so right, so perfect. "I love you, Q. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to tell you."

Their mouths crushed against one another urgently and their clothes disappeared with a thought. Now that Jean-Luc had experienced merging his consciousness with Q, purely physical contact seemed so impersonal, almost lonely. Suddenly Jean-Luc felt his consciousness open up, and Q's thoughts flitted inside, filling the lonely space.

( _Again. Say it again_.) Q begged. Their cocks slid together, wet and twitching, and they moaned in tandem as they shared each other's pleasure inside and out. Jean-Luc nibbled Q's bottom lip, grabbing him by the arms and flipping the entity onto his back. He moved his lips along Q's neck, earning a wanton groan as he fit his hips between Q's legs, pushing his thighs apart.

 _I love you_. _I'll tell you as many times as you like._

Neither of them could pace themselves. They were already so close to release after their joining, all either of them wanted was to drive the other to that sweet explosion, to fill each other with pleasure as quickly and as deeply as possible. Q squeezed Jean-Luc's sides tightly between his legs, and Jean-Luc answered him by pressing the head of his cock against Q's lubed entrance.

( _Then please don't stop_.) Q's eyes fluttered closed, arching his back in an attempt to feel Jean-Luc's cock more tightly against his pucker. Jean-Luc sighed deeply, pressing a soft bite over Q's throat, struggling not to cum. ( _Don't ever stop saying those words_.)

Jean-Luc bucked his hips, easing the first few inches of his cock inside Q's slick, hot depths. They groaned together, hands grasping for stability, skin shining with sweat. Q's emotions and sensations flooded Jean-Luc's mind, mingling with his own to create something beyond intimacy. Taking full advantage of their link, Jean-Luc drove himself deeply into Q's body while chanting his affections directly into Q's mind. Q matched his thrusts, a stray tear escaping from the corner of his eye that rolled over his cheek as Jean-Luc hiked his hips up, pumping into Q hard and fast, anticipating their mutual release.

"Jean- _Luc_ …!" Q's head pressed back into the pillows with a cry, and Jean-Luc leaned forward to cover Q's mouth with his own, kissing him deeply, professing his love with both his mind and body as they climbed together toward the glorious rapture awaiting them.

Their orgasms were synchronized. As Jean-Luc emptied himself into his lover, consciousness flickering from the intensity, he realized he could never love anyone like this again, nor did he plan to try.

For him, there was only Q.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even when apologizing, Q is so damn Extra
> 
> Please leave a review if you enjoyed! σ(≧ε≦ｏ) Your reviews and comments are so incredibly helpful and insightful, I thrive on them!


	3. Chapter 3

Boredom had never been interchangeable with contentedness before he'd met Jean-Luc Picard.

Even now, as Jean-Luc lay sleeping with the blankets up around his shoulders, Q wasn't bored. It was actually appalling, if he thought about it, which presently he was. He was sated just lying next to Jean-Luc, listening to him breathe, occasionally smoothing a hand down the length of his arm, shifting accordingly when Picard turned or jostled with sleep. His warmth was as distracting as any supernova, his small, breathy sounds were as interesting as any puzzle. Sometimes Q took a dip into Jean-Luc's dreams, and even though human dreams were nothing but a frantic jumble of colors, figures and obscure metaphors, Q would have bet several solar systems that Jean-Luc's dreams were more profound and vivid than any other mortal in the universe. ( _Maybe I'm being a little biased._ ) Sometimes those dreams were a little too vivid, a little too frantic, but Q gently pushed those dreams aside when he could and put something decidedly more pleasing in their place. Tonight, he had no need to interfere.

When had Q been reduced to this? To watching a mortal creature sleep, and finding it positively enthralling and invigorating? All the baubles and trinkets in the vast universe to explore at his leisure and here he was, spooning his sleeping human lover for over four hours now and _delighting_ in it. He might have considered it beneath him some time ago, before he'd realized how glorious, how superb, how utterly extraordinary this man was, and how equally extraordinary it was to be allowed to be with him. ( _I should really wake him up for all this. He gets deliciously horny when I praise him_.) And it _was_ beneath him, technically - speaking in strictly cosmic terms - but he couldn't have cared less. After all, Jean-Luc loved him.

For a moment, Q almost lost focus and allowed his joy to destroy a small solar system thirty light years from their position. Jean-Luc _loved_ Q. Really loved him. The words were still coursing through his essence, painting him with their magnitude. Despite hearing the words himself - hundreds of times over several hours of love making, in fact - Q still found it difficult to digest. It wasn't that he doubted Jean-Luc's word. It was hard enough to believe that Jean-Luc had allowed him into his bed, but Q could barely accept that Jean-Luc's own feelings had risen beyond casual affection. He didn't feel even close to worthy of that level of love and trust, but perhaps worthiness had little to do with anything concerning their relationship.

Much more prudent thoughts swam through the endless sea of crackling energy that was Q's mind, thoughts of Jean-Luc, the way he felt, the way he kissed, the sound of his baritone voice when he issued an order. There was a lot to think about lately, a lot to keep Q absolutely entertained, but it all came back to Jean-Luc. To a simple human.

 _No_ \- There was nothing simple about Jean-Luc, Q knew that the moment they'd met at Farpoint.

Jean-Luc stirred with the slightest of movements, nestling a little more snugly back into Q's body. Q responded by snaking his arms around the Captain's waist, keeping him close and pressing his nose into the man's warm neck. Boredom didn't exist anymore, not when he could have this. The other Q would laugh at him if they knew he preferred holding Picard as he slept over witnessing the destruction of Va'larus IV's only moon or the bloody resolution of the 700-year Tarish War. ( _The Tar people look like fuzzy socks. Still, they're surprisingly menacing while wielding spears_.) He supposed they were probably laughing regardless, but he didn't care about that, either. He rarely cared what the Continuum thought of him so long as they were keeping their haughty mitts off of his powers.

Some languidly floating grabby-hand of Q's consciousness chimed like an alarm, bringing him back a picture that made him suppress an irritated groan. The events of Jean-Luc's day were beginning to line up as early morning approached. Soon Picard would need to wake up and attend to the duties of his everyday life as Captain, and this moment would be over. Until then, Q intended to enjoy it to the last second.

And so Q simply waited, holding Picard in his arms, whispering a pleasant dream sequence into his head and ushering in a few more hours of sleep in the form of seconds ( _Not cheating, there is absolutely no rule about screwing with sleep patterns so long as I don't move time. No sex being denied to Q, oh no, not THIS day,_ ) before Jean-Luc groaned and shifted, his chest heaving with a deep breath.

Q kissed Jean-Luc's shoulder, a quiet reminder that he was still with him. "Good morning," he purred in his Captain's ear. "Waking up before your alarm?"

"Q." Jean-Luc covered one of Q's hands with his own, lacing their fingers together. "You're here. Did you stay here all night?"

"Yes," Q answered easily, allowing Jean-Luc to turn over onto his back. Q propped himself up on an elbow, looking down into his lover's eyes. "I might start making it a habit, you know."

Jean-Luc chuckled sleepily, rubbing a hand over his face. "Is that so?"

Q smiled sheepishly. "I admit I've wanted to from the beginning, but I worried if I overstayed my welcome, you might get sick of me."

Jean-Luc pulled Q's hand to his mouth, pressing a long kiss to his knuckles. "I hope last night alleviated that worry."

"Oh yes." Q leaned over and kissed Jean-Luc gently. Since once he got going it was always hard to stop, he pulled away, sternly reminding himself that Jean-Luc had a long, trying day of ahead of him. ( _Then again, isn't that the perfect excuse to relieve some tension?_ )

"As much as I'd enjoy another round, Q, the gelfa will be waking up soon and I really need to be clear-headed." Jean-Luc said with a sleepy grin.

"Oh." Q returned Jean-Luc's grin with one of his own. "Is it too late to warn you about the side-effects of merging consciousnesses?"

 _I would say so_. Jean-Luc pushed himself up and pressed a kiss to the side of Q's neck. _Q, I feel much more rested than perhaps I ought to, considering how much sleep I got. Is this your doing?_

Q inwardly shivered at the touch. "Guilty as charged. Surely you won't hold it against me."

Jean-Luc smiled against Q's neck. "No, I don't think I will." He sighed, burying his face in the bend of Q's shoulder. "I badly need a shower, but I don't want to get out of this bed."

"What an awful problem to have," Q teased gently, laying his cheek against Picard's head. Jean-Luc's emotions were pouring into him more strongly than usual - another side-effect of the merging, and of Jean-Luc's willingness to let himself be shared - and though Q could still feel the potency of Jean-Luc's relief and affection, there was a glimmer of anxiety and grief beginning to struggle underneath. Q wrapped his arms around the Captain, resting his chin on the top of the man's head. "Tell me something. What is it about these gelfa that has you so tense?"

Jean-Luc rested against Q for a long moment, breathing him in and pressing a kiss to his jaw before pulling away to get out of bed, stretching gently. Q admired his gorgeous body, his dark eyes tracing every line and curve and muscle, firmly silencing his reemerging desire. "You know… I wasn't sure at first, not really. I've always been able to separate tragedy from duty, and the plight of the gelfa is not the first of its kind that I've seen, and it most likely won't be the last." Jean-Luc glanced past the doorway at the replicator in the next room and Q easily anticipated his need, snapping a steaming mug of coffee into his lover's hands. Jean-Luc offered him a soft smile of thanks before blowing over it and taking a sip. "Q, I feel like you're spoiling me."

"You deserve to be spoiled." Q reasoned. "Now don't try to change the subject, continue."

Jean-Luc's mouth pulled into an awkward grin. "Can't we finish this conversation once I've washed up and put some clothes on?" he asked.

Q offered a pout. "Talking things out is so much better without silly clothes getting in the way, don't you agree?"

"Q."

Q rolled his eyes and stood from the bed, snapping his fingers again. Both he and Jean-Luc were instantly dressed in their respective uniforms, clean and groomed. Picard looked down at himself, sighing lightly. "Part of taking a shower in the morning is to help wake you up. Prepare you for the day."

"That's what the coffee is for." Q crossed his arms and leveled Jean-Luc a penetrating stare. "Now _continue_."

Jean-Luc narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Q, are you worried about me? Over this?"

"Am I not allowed to be?" Q countered with a frown.

"Of course you are," Jean-Luc chuckled, stepping closer to kiss Q deeply. Q's essence fluttered, delight washing over him, and once again he felt the moment had ended entirely too soon. "Forgive me. I'm still not used to discussing my shortcomings."

"You have no such things," Q replied softly, taking hold of Jean-Luc's free hand and squeezing it in his own.

"I think you'll find I do." Jean-Luc sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed, his hand still entwined with Q's. Q sat next to him, their shoulders and hips flush. There was a sizeable silence for several moments; where Q might normally be tempted to fill it, now he simply waited patiently for Jean-Luc to speak. He could feel pinpricks of thoughts and emotions emanating from Picard, all of them trying to organize themselves into something coherent, but he did not try to delve deeper into their meaning. He wanted to hear it from Jean-Luc, the way all of it was intended to be presented.

Finally, Jean-Luc spoke. "A few years ago, we had a situation that demanded we transport a small colony of Boraalans aboard our ship without their knowledge. Their planet had become uninhabitable, and an acquaintance of ours violated the Prime Directive in order to save them. They had no knowledge of space travel or that they'd been removed from their planet; our acquaintance programmed a holodeck simulation to mimic their world until we had safely transported them to a new planet similar enough to their own to fool them into believing it was indeed their homeworld."

"I miss all the fun," Q tutted.

"One of the Boraalans - his name was Vorin - accidentally left the holodeck. He was petrified. Everything he knew, everything he believed was torn from him in an instant. I tried to explain everything to him as gently as I could. We even tried to alter his memory, but we were unable to. He was left with two choices; he could go back to his colony and try and forget what he'd seen, what he'd learned, so that he could live his life with his people, or he could stay with us aboard the _Enterprise_." Jean-Luc's jaw tensed. His gaze fell to his lap. "Ultimately, he decided he couldn't go back. He couldn't keep a secret of that magnitude from his people, or from himself. We were prepared to do whatever it took to make him comfortable aboard the ship, meet whatever needs he might have had."

Q frowned. This was a matter he knew something about, though his experience with brief mortality was rather the opposite of the Boraalan named Vorin. Regardless, it seemed the end result was the same for both of them. Inescapable misery and loneliness, ending with a strong desire to take the only course of action that gave them any semblance of control over their own life.

"He killed himself." Q said softly.

Jean-Luc nodded stiffly, tightening his hold on Q's hand as though he were sharing Q's memories, which he probably was. "Yes."

"You're worried the gelfa will do the same, or something equally as rash."

"I honestly can't think of a single good reason why they wouldn't deeply consider it, after what I have to tell them today."

Q allowed Jean-Luc's emotions to tangle in his consciousness, trying to weed out the bits that were louder than the others. "It isn't only that," Q said, his brow furrowing. "You're worried that if they choose to end their lives, you'll be forced to stop them. And you're not sure if you should."

Jean-Luc stared down at his coffee, nodded again, and said nothing.

They sat together in silence for several moments. Q was frustrated with his own inability to ease his lover's concerns. He'd never needed nor wanted to comfort anyone before, especially over something he would have once considered so frivolous and unworthy of his attention. He felt strangely useless, just a lump of tangible thought-matter taking up space on the bed next to someone who needed some kind of reassurance he wasn't equipped to give. Jean-Luc didn't give him a chance to think on it further. He issued a dry chuckle, awkwardly clearing his throat.

"I know this must seem incredibly silly. There's nothing to be done for it now. They'll be awake soon, and I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of sentiment or uncertainty." He breathed in a deep sigh. "….Perhaps I'm getting old."

"Never." Q put in passionately. Spending any amount of time thinking about Jean-Luc Picard's mortality was something Q usually avoided at all costs. Whenever his thoughts wandered in that direction, Q usually ended up flirting with alternatives that Jean-Luc was not likely to take kindly to. Not yet.

Jean-Luc gave Q's hand a final squeeze, moving to stand up. "Well. Thank you for listening, Q. I had better-"

"I'll go with you." Q said suddenly, and with a fair amount of finality. Jean-Luc froze, knees bent, and slowly he sat back down on the bed, turning to Q with raised brows.

"Go with me, how? You mean…"

"Exactly as I said. I'll go with you. Physically. No tricks, no disruptions. I'll act as one of your crew. A commanding officer, if you please." One of the pips on Q's collar popped off and rather dramatically dissolved into sparkling dust with a hiss, leaving him with only three.

Jean-Luc watched it dissipate into the air. He looked into Q's eyes, and for a moment they looked deeper into each other, clarifying things that couldn't be said with words. Q could still feel Jean-Luc's hesitancy, but it was a waning doubt that was withering under the weight of his love and appreciation for such a small but significant show of support. Jean-Luc touched Q's knee, a fond smile slowly forming on his lips.

"Q… I would like that. I would like that very much."

Q raised a hand to Jean-Luc's face and gently touched his jaw, much like when they'd first kissed several weeks ago. It was just as electric as that night, just as awe-inspiring to be able to touch him so intimately, just as shocking that Jean-Luc wanted this touch. As though he were thinking the same thing, Jean-Luc laid his hand over Q's, pulling it away only enough to kiss his palm, then his wrist, and then they were coming together for a deep kiss that was just as exhilarating as it was distracting. With a thought, Jean-Luc's coffee mug was out of his hand and sitting on his desk in the next room. Q shifted his legs and pushed Jean-Luc slowly onto his back, kissing him amorously, angling his head to urge Jean-Luc's lips open so that his tongue could gain entry. Jean-Luc groaned into his mouth, grabbing fistfuls of Q's uniform, pulling their bodies flush.

The door to Jean-Luc's quarters alerted the men to a visitor with an urgent beep. They pulled apart, breathless, heads turning to the door in sync.

"Curse your rules, Picard. I could have moved us out of time and prevented such a rude interruption."

Jean-Luc chuckled. "As tempting as that sounds, I think I know who this might be." He glanced back up at Q. "We _will_ pick this back up later."

"I'll hold you to that." Q pecked Jean-Luc's lips gently. "And I might want to cash in some of that 'us' time I've been saving up."

The door chimed again. Jean-Luc grinned. "Agreed."

With a snap of Q's fingers, Jean-Luc was sitting at his desk, looking very much like a respectable person who had not been making out with a multi-dimensional entity in the next room only moments ago. Q's physical form dissolved and he hung suspended over the room, getting comfortable in his other plane of reality. He could see Jean-Luc looking around for him, a frown creasing his brow.

 _Where have you gone?_ Jean-Luc asked in his mind.

( _I'm here. I thought that-_ )

_Q, I have nothing to be ashamed of. If you're coming along with me today, then there is no reason to hide yourself. Please, come here._

He didn't need to be told twice. Q appeared on the couch opposite the desk, legs crossed casually, a tame grin on his lips. "Reporting for duty, Captain."

Jean-Luc leaned back in his chair. "Come," he called at the door.

The door slid open and Beverly walked in. Jean-Luc stood, straightening his uniform, gaining her attention. "Beverly. Good morning."

Beverly offered a smile that crinkled the corners of her lovely eyes. "Good morning, Jean-Luc." She stepped into the room. "Have you had breakfast?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, the gelfa should be waking up in a little under an hour, so I thought-" Beverly stopped abruptly just short of the desk, having first noticed the out-of-date Starfleet uniform sitting on the couch, and secondly the corporeal body occupying it. Her eyes went wide and her smile melted. "Q!"

Q grinned as cordially as he could manage. He wasn't about to sully his meager supportive gesture by being overly antagonistic, after all. "It's delightful to see you too, Doctor Crusher."

Beverly glanced at Jean-Luc in obvious hopes of an explanation or reassurance. Jean-Luc leaned back onto his desk, folding his hands at his lap. "Everything's alright, Beverly. What were you saying before?"

The doctor noticeably relaxed, shooting another furtive glance at the couch before straightening her shoulders and continuing. "I knew we hadn't planned on it, but I thought it might be nice to start the day off with some coffee and a croissant." Her eyes moved to the steaming coffee mug on the desk, and then slid to the purple flower resting in its vase. Q could practically hear the little bell chime in her mind. "Seems like you've already had your coffee." she said carefully.

"Ah, yes. Can I offer you a cup?"

"No, that's alrig-" Before she could get the word out, Q had already materialized a warm mug of coffee in her hands. He rose from the couch, wandering over to the desk to steal the space beside Jean-Luc.

"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to," Q said, keeping his voice perfectly pleasant while noting the way Beverly stared at the mug as if deciding whether or not to continue touching it, "but just so you know, I made it with extra cream and sugar, just the way you like it."

Beverly looked up at Q with an inquisitive stare, and then looked between the men as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

( _She's not buying it. Abort mission_.)

 _Don't be ridiculous, Q_.

"I _believe_ Q is trying to be friendly." Jean-Luc reasoned, picking up his own mug of coffee perhaps for proof that it wasn't laced with something dubious. "Beverly, I know this must seem a bit odd. In the past, Q's visits usually heralded some kind of impending disaster, but I can assure you this won't be the case anymore. Q is here to assist us, and he will be behaving exactly as any other crewmen on board."

One of Beverly's brows arched, a slender finger tapping against her mug. "Has anyone else been informed?" she asked curiously.

"No. You're the first, but I intend to call a senior staff meeting to let everyone know so that there won't be unnecessary confusion." He cleared his throat, his mouth tugging into a wry grin. "...Or concern."

Beverly breathed a sigh in through her nose, took a polite sip of her coffee, and then glanced up at Q with a vaguely forced smile. "Well. If the Captain trusts you, I am ever inclined to trust his judgement."

Q exchanged a look with Picard, feeling slightly as though he'd been robbed of a chance to defend himself. "That's it? No adamant refusal to believe the Captain is in his right mind, no justified suspicion at my sudden readiness to be a team player?"

"Nope," Beverly chirped. "I don't have the energy for any of that this morning. Maybe after my coffee I'll take another stab at it. In the meantime, I trust Captain Picard completely." She took another look down at her mug, frowning at it crossly. "Dammit. This is _really_ good coffee."

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There was a short meeting in Picard's ready room, a modest gathering of senior officers the Captain needed to brief on their upcoming interactions with the gelfa. Mr. Beardy, the half-Betazoid, the Good Doctor and Data. Q occupied the seat beside Data - the only one present aside from Beverly who wasn't visibly fretful over his being present - and Q silently and respectfully watched his lover explain Q's new presence on the ship. As with Beverly, he was met with no verbal opposition, but Q could feel strong waves of suspicion from Riker and almost desperate curiosity from Deanna. Either way, he wasn't met with the reaction he'd expected, even if Number One was making it rather clear he intended to pull his Captain aside at a later time and seriously question his sanity.

"Will Q be requiring quarters here on the _Enterprise_?" Data asked, the only one among them who seemed genuinely pleased at the news, which was ironic for obvious reasons.

Jean-Luc grinned at Data in a way that made the pit of Q's center flutter with yearning. "No, he will not."

The contemplative silence that followed was short-lived. With all the grace and experience of his command Jean-Luc transitioned effortlessly into the next topic at hand, first contact with the gelfa.

The matter was outlined crisply and in plain terms, for the sake of time. Jean-Luc reviewed how he wanted to approach the gelfa, outlined the team he wanted to bring inside the holodeck, took questions and concerns from those who had any, and they were dismissed. The officers piled out of the ready room, Riker tossing Q one last suspicious glare before taking command of the bridge, the others preparing to meet their Captain at holodeck 3. Q leaned back in his chair, lifting his legs to rest his boots on the table casually.

"That certainly went better than expected."

Jean-Luc stood, moving behind his chair and bracing his hands on the back of it.

"I expect Commander Riker will have some words for me later, but yes. I may have to make certain things clear about our relationship as time goes on, but I believe I can deal with that when the opportunity presents itself."

Q tilted his head. "You don't have to do that, you know," he said gently. "Despite my past actions to the contrary, I understand well your desire to keep personal affairs… well, personal."

Jean-Luc's brows raised in surprise. Slowly, his expression dissolved into one of soft appreciation. "Q, a 'fling' is a personal affair. What we have is more than that. I admit I like my privacy, covet it even, but if I intend to spend the rest of my life with you, I feel I'd be doing my officers a disservice by keeping it from them for too long."

Q's eyes burned and his throat went dry. _-if I intend to spend of my life with you_ \- The proclamation rang triumphantly within Q's essence, garnering the desired effect immediately and profoundly. "Jean-Luc, I know we're supposed to be doing something really important, and I know you have that rule about moving out of time but-"

"Make it so." Jean-Luc interrupted impatiently, his breathing already starting to grow laborious with longing.

In a flash of light, Q was across the room kissing Jean-Luc deeply and without reservation, his hands taking hold of Jean-Luc's hips and stumbling backwards with him against the backmost window. Their minds came together as soon as their bodies touched, heightening the sensation, making it more real. Jean-Luc grunted into Q's mouth, arching into him as Q pinned him against the window, grinding their pelvises together heatedly.

 _Not here,_ Jean-Luc gasped out in Q's mind. _Take us out of here, somewhere else._

( _You can't honestly say you've never thought about doing something naughty in here?_ ) Q countered, his fingers slipping through the material of Jean-Luc's uniform as though it were made of water, tracing heatedly over the skin of his chest and down his taut stomach. Jean-Luc gasped into his mouth, bending into his touch. ( _It's been a little dream of mine to have you on the bridge, you know. Think of this as a taste of how good it can be to do bad things in respectable places._ )

A flicker of something strange and ugly slid into Q's mind, a broken jumble of sensations, blurred images and disproportionately strong emotions that Jean-Luc was desperately trying to keep hidden. Q broke their kiss, staring into Jean-Luc's eyes in sudden concern. "Jean-Luc… That dream-"

Before Q could say anything more Jean-Luc raised a hand and gently touched his fingers to Q's mouth, returning his stare with one of grave sincerity. "I fear I'm not very adept at keeping every little thought from trickling over to you quite yet." he said. "I'm sorry."

Q took Jean-Luc's hand in his, rubbing a thumb gently over his knuckles. "From the looks of it, I'm the one who should be apologizing," he answered softly.

Jean-Luc shook his head. "It was only a dream. A product of my uncertainties about our relationship, uncertainties I no longer have. You've seen that, haven't you?" He touched their foreheads together. "You've seen me, all of me. I'm not hiding from you, Q. That dream means nothing. _This_ ," Jean-Luc guided Q's hands back to his hips, anchoring them there firmly, " _this_ is real, this is everything. This is what I want."

Internally chastising himself for allowing a muddy human dream sequence to throw him into a self-deprecating spiral, Q pressed back into him, covering Jean-Luc's body with his own to kiss his neck, working a delicate bruise into the skin. Just once he'd like to let those bruises remain, to be seen by all. "I can take us somewhere else. Anywhere you like."

A low groan vibrated in Jean-Luc's throat. _No. I can't wait anymore. You were right before, Q... I've thought about it once or twice._

"Thought about what?" Q murmured provocatively against Jean-Luc's jaw, running his hand down the Captain's torso to cup over the erection quickly forming in Jean-Luc's pants. He gasped at the contact, bucking against Q's hand. "I want to hear you say it, love."

Jean-Luc retaliated by slipping his hands over Q's sides and squeezing his ass, earning him a grateful moan near his ear. "About having filthy sex with you in a respectable place."

"Jean-Luc, how lewd!" Q chuckled, rubbing Jean-Luc's eager bulge through his uniform, "The Captain of the _Enterprise_ , saying such things. Why, I should wash your mouth out with soap."

"I rather think you would enjoy putting something else in my mouth," Jean-Luc challenged, and Q lost any possible comeback he might have been planning as Jean-Luc sank to his knees before him, glancing up at him expectantly. "Get these clothes off," the Captain ordered softly, a tremble of anticipation in his voice.

Q felt distinctly like his brain had short-circuited. There were few sights Q never ever expected to see even in his long life, and this was certainly on the top five. Jean-Luc Picard kneeling in front of him, hands anchored behind Q's knees, waiting for Q to - oh god, just the idea was too insanely arousing to string together in words. Lifting his hand while giving Jean-Luc unwavering eye-contact, Q snapped his fingers and they were both naked, his physical throat catching with a breath as Jean-Luc inclined his head to Q's hard cock, kissing the tip of the shaft.

Q's knees almost buckled from the sensation. The combination of physical, mental and visual stimulation was almost too much for his human body to tolerate, and below him Jean-Luc moaned against the head of his cock, sharing in Q's overwhelming pleasure. The man rested his forehead against Q's thigh to compose himself, dragging heavy pants through his lips.

"Q… Good lord, just from a kiss..."

( _You overwhelm me, mon capitaine. I should think you would be flattered_.)

 _Quite_. Jean-Luc lifted his head, pressing his hot tongue against Q's leaking slit before taking the head of his cock into his warm, wet mouth. Q tossed his head back, pure bliss lancing through him. _It's difficult to focus on giving you pleasure when I'm feeling your pleasure as well. Not that I'm complaining._

( _My dear, my lover, you are incredible… So amazing, however did I - ahh - get lucky enough to have this? To have you?_ )

Hands slipped around to reclaim their place on Q's rear, squeezing his cheeks and running his fingers delicately along his cleft. Q shuddered, bracing his hands on the window, staring down at Jean-Luc through a hazy blanket of arousal. Jean-Luc swallowed him nearly to the base, groaning from the sheer delight of Q's pleasure flooding into him. It was an odd but welcome feeling, a cycle of pleasure. As Jean-Luc sucked his cock, he could also indulge in the sensation of the act as if he were doing it himself, both giving and receiving pleasure at the same moment.

 _Q, I love you_. Jean-Luc's voice rose in Q's mind amidst the steadily growing rapture, growling with earnest. _I love everything you are, every form you take, everything you do to me and everything I do to you. And I suspect I'll never tire of saying it._

( _Oh, I hope you don't_ ,) Q's center was coiling into a tight knot of pressure, all bright light and color, threatening to break him apart at the seams. Jean-Luc's tongue swirled over the head of his cock, lips working slowly and sensually along Q's throbbing length. Q let out a moan, one of his hands leaving the window to grasp desperately at the back of Jean-Luc's head. "Please, oh please Jean-Luc- _please-_ "

_Come, Q. Let me bring you there._

From behind, Jean-Luc pressed a finger into Q's entrance, gently probing his hot depths as he sucked him to the root with passion. Q cried out, his hips moving on their own, completely and shamelessly at Picard's mercy. He glanced down one last time, just to absorb what was happening to him; he choked out a moan at the sight his eyes beheld, Jean-Luc's brow set in concentration, his attractive mouth accepting Q's hot cock into it again and again, lips slicked with drool and precum. The image tipped his last shred of coherency right over the proverbial cliff. His orgasm was electric, shattering, making his knees shake violently as his cock exploded in his lover's mouth. Jean-Luc moaned, sharing in Q's rapture, swallowing everything Q gave him as he was blinded by the waves of pleasure. He came a moment later, still holding Q's cock in his mouth until the very last spurt of come splashed over his tongue.

When they'd both calmed down, Q carefully pulled his cock out of Jean-Luc's mouth and sank to his knees, kissing him with hot adamance, tasting his own human seed on the Captain's lips. Jean-Luc wrapped his arms around Q's neck and pulled them both down to the floor.

 _No refractory recharge today?_ Jean-Luc asked amusedly, plunging his tongue into Q's mouth to kiss him deeply and with purpose.

( _I certainly won't deny the request if you were to give it, Jean-Luc. I wouldn't mind spending a few days in here, getting intimately acquainted with you in every inch of this room. And I would_ love _to pay you back for that heavenly treat you just gave me_.)

Jean-Luc pulled their mouths apart, his lips parted in light pants, his eyes finding Q's and offering him a smile. "I believe I'll cash in on that," he said, pecking Q's lips again simply because he couldn't help himself. He sighed, resting their foreheads together. "...Later. Time freeze notwithstanding, we have a duty to perform. I shouldn't put it off any longer." He chuckled gently. "Is that why you allowed us to calm down? You were worried you were distracting me?"

Q grinned, wrapping his arms around Jean-Luc tightly. "Distracting you has always been my greatest pleasure, and possibly my favorite passtime. But today I thought I'd try to be what you need me to be, even if that means being…" he sucked in a tense breath, as though he were about to divulge a horrible truth, "... _selfless_. Ugh, can we pretend I didn't just say that?"

"I appreciate it, Q. Really."

"Well, I aim to please." Q snapped his fingers and they were both upright, clean and uniformed. The entity stepped forward and fussed needlessly with Jean-Luc's turtleneck. "I've stuck us back in time, only seconds after the meeting ended. We can go whenever you're ready."

Jean-Luc placed a hand over Q's, staring at him with fondness. "I love you." he said, and Q could feel the sentiment pulse in his core, spreading like wildfire to every corner of his essence. The temptation to move them out of time again was overwhelming, even more alluring with the realization that Jean-Luc was just as tempted to suggest it. Both of them worked together to control their urges, reminding themselves that later was sooner than they thought, that time was no longer an issue when it meant being together.

"I love you incredibly, Jean-Luc. And I fully intend to make good on that 'us time' I keep talking about." Q grinned, dark eyes sparkling. "You're going to _love_ the change in scenery."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My favorite head-canon is that Q is hopeless when it comes to comforting someone. Like, he just has no idea what to do. So when the situation arises he pretty much just blurts something out and 9 times out of 10 it actually helps, but then there's that 1 time where Jean-Luc just looks at him like "....???? How would a duck help??"
> 
> In the next chapter, Q takes Jean-Luc on a little vacation! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Leave a comment if you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

As far as first contact went it could have been worse, but that was just Q's opinion.

The gelfa clutched each other and cowered before the small entourage of officers with clear fear and uncertainty in their large, almond eyes. Typically Q took full advantage of ignorant, shrinking creatures to have as much fun with their tiny-minded superstitions as possible, but today he remained silent and stoic, standing just behind Jean-Luc with his hands folded behind his back in true Starfleet configuration. It was absolutely absurd, though no less absurd than laying in a bed for several hours doing nothing but holding a fantastic human in his arms, listening to his heartbeat and breathing in his intoxicating scent. Absurd had become desirable lately. Preferred.

"You are _Them_ ," The male gelfa spoke, a quiver in his soft voice, his eyes darting back and forth between Picard and Q in utter bewilderment. "Waduk and Dristat, the Gods who dwell above us…!"

Deanna carefully crouched down, one of her knees brushing the vibrant purple foliage that surrounded them on all sides. The gelfa turned their attention to her, shuffling backwards in a panic, prompting her to slow her movements in apology. "Listen carefully, I promise you there is no one here by that name," she said in that special voice she reserved for small children and traumatized or confused crewmen. "We're here to help you. Like we've said, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard, he - and the rest of us - mean you no harm."

"That's right," Jean-Luc continued, following Deanna's example and kneeling so that he might be closer to their level and, with any luck, appear significantly less divine in their eyes. "I am no more or less mortal than you are. Please, you may relax, no one here is going to harm you."

The female glanced back to Jean-Luc, her small body relaxing only enough to allow herself to speak. "B-but you glow with the wisdom of Waduk," she choked out, bowing her head once more for good measure. "and your mate is clad in the crimson of dawn, does that not make him Dristat?"

The word "mate" rang through the humid holodeck simulation like a shockwave. Beverly and Deanna both noticeably tensed, obviously doing everything within their power not to either break into peals of giggles or withhold horrified gasps, Q couldn't be quite certain. Data merely frowned, tilted his head in consideration, and then pursed his lips as though he'd arrived to a conclusion that wasn't entirely disagreeable. Jean-Luc urgently flooded Q's mind with his thoughts.

 _Q, can they really know something like that?_ he asked _. That isn't possible, is it?_

( _Are you giving me permission to tell you something you shouldn't technically know in the present moment?_ )

_Yes, dammit, yes!_

Q had to stifle his snicker behind a cough. ( _Primitive though they may be, these little balls of reverence have the ability to see what you might call 'auras'. It's partially telepathic, partially the ability to see infrared wavelengths beyond your own spectrum. It's rather interesting, actually. Too bad they're extinct._ )

"I assure you," Jean-Luc tried again, "we are not the entities of which you speak. This is only clothing." He tugged on his cuff for proof, yanking it up to expose the skin of his arm. "We call them uniforms. The colors we wear signify different stages of command. It's merely a coincidence that my… my mate wears the same color as your Dristat." He smiled gently at them. "Do you understand?"

The gelfa watched the strangers for several moments like mice might watch cats, slowly relaxing and releasing their hold on one another. Finally they stood side by side, clasping hands. The male spoke again. "We… understand." He swallowed nervously. "You are 'humans'... You are not our Sky Gods." He tugged gently on his sister's hand. "I am Strenn. This is my sister, Vi'ik."

"If you are not our Sky Gods, how are we here, in Binyu forest?" Vi'ik asked, her eyes still round and furtive. "We… we saw Rem destroy this forest. Destroy everything. And then the strange flying boat came and the creatures took us away."

"Who is Rem?" Beverly asked curiously, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her lab coat.

"The God of all light," Strenn explained. "He has been punishing us for years. Our tribe has been praying to Waduk and Dristat to save us from Rem's fury for longer than my sister and I have been alive."

( _How ironic is that? They've pegged their sun as a destructive tyrant all this time, and it ends up filling that role to perfection_.)

 _So Waduk and Dristat are their twin moons, or the Gods that dwell on them?_ Jean-Luc asked.

( _Sounds like it_.)

 _And this is the part where I have to tell them that their entire planet is gone, their friends and family dead, and reveal to them that they are on a starship hundreds of light years away from their Gods_.

(... _Sounds like it_.) A tingling warmth washed over Jean-Luc like liquid arms folding around his shoulders and back. The sensation melted into him, binding with his essence, flooding his veins with every shred of comfort Jean-Luc could physically hold. ( _I'm here. There is no better man to deliver this news to these creatures. At risk of rendering the lovely Miss Deanna's ability momentarily useless, I can sense that they trust you. They recognize your concern for them. They'll listen_.)

Jean-Luc rested his forearms on his knees, clasping his hands together. "I believe I may know what happened," the Captain said to the gelfa somberly. "Now please, this will not be easy to hear or understand, but I assure you, we will do whatever we can to aid you in any manner possible."

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.

.

Four starfleet officers, two gelfa and a Q sat in a semicircle on the jungle floor of the holodeck for nearly forty minutes, but sadly there was no punchline. The gelfa listened, they cried, then they questioned, and then cried again. And once their tears were spent, more questions arose, honest inquiries about the ship and the crew and their way of life and finally, what was to become of them. Jean-Luc promised them safe passage for as long as they desired, Beverly expressed interest in seeing them for a non-invasive examination, and Deanna offered them a tour of the ship when they felt ready. As it turned out, they felt ready right then, though not for an examination. Deanna led them from the holodeck, a hand on each of their shoulders. Jean-Luc watched the small, surprisingly mature and inquisitive creatures stand in awe of the holodeck arch and the bright hallway that branched out from it as Deanna and Beverly led them toward the arboretum, explaining the sights they were seeing along the way. Standing under the arch, the Captain smoothed a hand over his bald head, blowing a sigh through his lips.

"The despair… Where is all the despair?" he asked softly, bewildered.

"It's there, Jean-Luc, it's there. It's just not quite as crippling as you feared it might be." Q scoffed. "You sound almost disappointed. By all accounts, this has gone much better than you ever anticipated."

Jean-Luc smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not disappointed, only surprised. Relieved. Though - and I'm sure Counselor Troi will agree - grief isn't exactly something that can be turned off and on like a spigot. They'll need to deal with all of this more thoroughly at a later time. I just hope our assistance will be enough."

Q's fingers curled over Jean-Luc's shoulder, giving him a firm squeeze. "If the Ferengi did anything worthwhile, they at least prepared them for _some_ of this. Coming from a frightening unknown into something decidedly more friendly no doubt lessened the blow."

"I agree." Jean-Luc laid his hand over Q's. "Q, I-"

The sound of Jean-Luc's combadge interrupted the 'thank you' he was about to voice; Q felt it anyway. It would take some getting used to, sharing his every surface thought and intention with Q before his mouth could even form the words.

"Riker to Picard."

Q rolled his eyes. "William has the _most exemplary_ timing." he sighed.

Jean-Luc tapped his badge. "Picard here."

"Admiral Nechayev is on the comm, she'd like to speak with you at your earliest convenience."

Jean-Luc suppressed a groan. "Thank you, I'll take it in my ready room."

"Yes sir. Riker out."

A long sigh escaped Jean-Luc's lips. Q grinned at him with fondness. "A Captain's work is never done." he mused.

"Never. And I rather prefer it that way." Jean-Luc turned to Q, brows raised. "What will you do? I've got a full day as it is, and if Admiral Nechayev has any say, it may be getting considerably more hectic very soon."

Q breathed in deep through his nose and crossed his arms as though he were in the midst of a very difficult decision. "Well, perhaps I'll go visit Data and see if I can give him a hand with anything, or head down to Engineering to assist Geordi in adjusting the warp core - it's been sputtering a lot more than usual, hasn't it? - Or maybe-"

"Q." Jean-Luc cleared his throat pointedly. _You_ do _remember we're more-or-less sharing our thoughts now, yes_?

"Of course!" Q announced, not at all convincingly. He pulled Jean-Luc in close by the hips, grinning darkly at him. "I was only checking to see if you were paying attention."

"Oh, is that right?" Jean-Luc chuckled. "Listen, you've done more than enough for me today. You don't have to force yourself to conform to my lifestyle, Q. You're welcome to come and go as you please, so long as I get to see you each night, every night."

Q held him tighter. "Nothing could keep me away, love." He pressed a lingering kiss to Jean-Luc's neck. "Tonight will be no exception."

"I'll see you tonight, then."

Q pulled away with a grin and vanished in a flash, though his touch remained like the mist after a downpour.

( _Count on it, Picard. And dress light - it's warm where we're going_.)

.

.

.

It had been decided that the gelfa would sleep and live on the holodeck until further notice, or at least until quarters could be arranged to meet their unique needs. They appeared to have higher humidity demands than most, and had nocturnal foraging tendencies that were going to be difficult to replicate in crew quarters. Strenn and Vi'ik had taken a shining to Troi and already trusted her deeply, and if Jean-Luc's observations were remotely accurate - which they usually were - Troi had developed a keen interest in seeing to their needs and wants, and seemed to have taken them under her proverbial wing. For the moment, Jean-Luc felt he had nothing to worry about concerning the mental well-being of the gelfa. Their steadfast belief in their Sky Gods seemed to have prepared them for the worst; for years their tribe had been suffering the effects of their dying sun, they'd known doom was upon them but wasn't certain what form it would take. Despite this fact, Strenn and Vi'ik were still undeniably the last of their kind. Jean-Luc supposed even their great Sky Gods hadn't prepared them for that.

Nechayev wanted two things. First, to speak with Picard about his reports concerning the gelfa, which he'd expected of course, but the Admiral seemed wholly uninterested in anything beyond generic confirmation of their successful awakening and the accuracy of his earlier reports. The second and much more prudent topic of conversation was a change in their course, a new heading to the demilitarized zone to re-establish a Federation checkpoint they'd recently lost contact with. Jean-Luc was honestly glad for the distraction. Such an ordinary, guilt-free mission of political relevance made it feel like the ship was getting somewhat back to normal.

However, there was now the issue of Q's plans for him - for the both of them - waiting for him in his quarters. Despite his particularly trying day, Picard's steps as he exited the turbolift were pleasantly light, almost bouncy, a stark contrast from the previous night when he'd been positive he would be spending his night alone. Q had this effect on him, this brand new sense of invigoration that used to be such a fleeting sensation but now seemed to flood his every waking moment. The promise of seeing Q, no matter what the entity had planned, filled Jean-Luc with a fond anticipation he'd never expected to experience again in his lifetime. And to think, he'd almost tried to break things off over something as petty as an argument! He wouldn't be making that mistake again, or any others like it, not so long as he lived and breathed. Perhaps beyond even that.

There was no surprise this time when the doors to Jean-Luc's quarters slid open to reveal a place that was not his room, nor anything resembling it. Once he took a deliberate step inside, the doorway and ship slid away, leaving Jean-Luc blinking in the warm sunlight that was now beating down on the top of his head. He squinted and averted his gaze to the shimmering sand under his feet, noting his new change of clothes. He wore light, loose-fitting attire of red, taupe and light blue. The shirt was dual-layered, the layer underneath sleeveless with a low neckline that exposed his collar and chest to it's full advantage. The outer layer was made of a thin, semi-transparent material that hung off his shoulders. Loose, breezy sleeves fell to his elbows, and his pants were flowy and generously cut around the knees, tied off at the base of the calves. Jean-Luc chuckled under his breath.

 _Really, Q_.

Shielding his eyes with his hand, Picard took stock of his surroundings. Rolling dunes and mountain ranges framed the horizon, and when he turned, he could just make out the beginnings of a densely forested area descending into a valley. The sky was stained several shades of yellow and purple - reminding Jean-Luc of a certain flower back on his ship, on his desk - and sparse clouds drifted lazily above him.

Jean-Luc turned again, laying eyes on an intricate, colorful structure some hundred meters from his position that almost resembled a giant shining blossom rising from the sand. As he stared at it, there came an electric tickle along his spine marking the arrival of Q just behind him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Q's voice was hot against his ear, and Jean-Luc had to suppress a wistful groan just to counteract the undertone of dark lust carried in that voice, setting his nerves on fire. "The Grand Ra'an Kirah dwells within, the Divine Crescent of the Dunes. He watches over the village of Ter just beyond that valley to the South, and is said to be a very powerful and holy magician."

"It's you, isn't it?" Jean-Luc grinned, turning to the entity. Q was still dressed in outdated command red, the fourth pip back and gleaming importantly on his collar.

"What!" Q's expressive eyes blew open in mock-dismay. "Jean-Luc, I'm shocked. I bring you here to this exotic, romantic getaway to meet one of the most important and powerful beings in the entire system, and you jump to such whimsical assumptions!"

Jean-Luc nodded, a laugh through his nose. "Oh yes, yes. It's you." He glanced back at the strange palace, starting off leisurely in its direction. "Q, where are we? What planet is this?"

Q matched his pace, holding his arms behind his back. "A desert flower in a modest little system about five-hundred years from human discovery," he chirped, his shoulder bumping Jean-Luc's gently. "The tribes in the far East call it "the Land of Scorching Rock" - let me tell you, those wet blankets are absolutely _no_ fun at parties - but the villagers just beyond the valley call it "Yern"... They're more fun at parties but their names are far less ambitious."

"So we're going to meet this Ra'an Kirah? Assuming for the moment that he's not you - though he more than likely is - are you expecting him to let us stay at his palace?"

"Oh, yes. We're close personal friends, he and I."

Jean-Luc chuckled. "Alright, now I _know_ you're lying."

Q prodded Jean-Luc in the side with his elbow. "So much mistrust, _mon capitaine_ ," he grinned. "I hope your manners are a great deal better than _this_ when the Grand Ra'an Kirah stands before us!"

The men left a trail of sandy footprints to the tall palace doors as the planet's sun hung low over the mountains, casting a sultry reddish glow over the dunes. The doors opened wide to welcome them, the servants bowing generously to the strangers as they stepped inside. The people of Yern were bipedal humanoid, tough-skinned, with two arms on each side of their pale blue torsos. Their apparel was the same style Q had dressed him in though in opposite colors, and as they walked into the cooler palace entryway, Q placed a hand on Jean-Luc's shoulder to guide them past the lines of servants as the doors creaked closed behind them.

"The throne room is just through the next set of doors. If my timing is right - and it always is - the Ra'an Kirah should be there now."

Jean-Luc tossed Q a look of mild surprise. "Wait, there really is a Ra'an Kirah? And he's not… you?"

Q rolled his eyes. "Really, Jean-Luc, I'm insulted. If you can't take me at my word, what sort of relationship would this be?"

"The sort that I'm familiar with," Jean-Luc answered, with fondness. "Old habits die hard, after all."

"That they do." Q stopped before the decorated oval doors, placing his hands on them in preparation to push. He paused, then glanced at Jean-Luc with sudden interest. "Tell me, why aren't you quoting the Prime Directive to me right now? Or questioning why I've chosen this planet for our first vacation spot?"

The inquiries had rolled around in Jean-Luc's mind once or twice, but until Q said it out loud, Jean-Luc found he hadn't really considered it. Should he be alarmed? Was his relationship with Q changing him somehow? He couldn't be sure, but perhaps it was more about trust than it was about rules or regulations. As for an answer, Jean-Luc pulled Q in for a sweet peck on the mouth.

"I trust you." he said firmly, "And I've decided that while I'm with you on these excursions, I might leave the 'Captain' off of my name. I'm simply Jean-Luc Picard."

Q's lips pulled into a grin. "Oh, there is _nothing_ simple about you, nor could there ever be," he purred, and pushed the doors open.

The throne room was circular and tall; the architecture made it clear that the room was strategically positioned at the heart of the palace so that the ceiling was at its tallest. The midday sky shone through the crystalline panels that lined the pointed ceiling, casting a soft light over the colorful walls and floors. The hall was decorated with lush carpets, pillows, sculptures and exotic flora, all working in tandem to focus attention to the elevated platform where an exquisite chair was positioned for viewing. Sitting in the chair was a dark-skinned, weathered man with a long, braided beard of silver and thick, colorful robes adorning him, a shining scepter held loosely in two of his four hands.

"Who calls upon my court?" the man demanded sharply, his commanding tone a testament of his many years upon that chair, tainted by a faint tremor of weariness from decades of rule. Jean-Luc wasn't sure what sort of etiquette was expected of him - he hadn't even known of these people or this planet until five minutes ago - so he chose to mimic the mannerisms of the servants who had allowed them inside. He bowed his head, though not quite so low as the servants.

"Jean-Luc Picard," he said, "It is an honor to meet you, your Grandness. I was brought here by-" He'd turned to find Q beside him as for an explanation, but Q was missing. Jean-Luc glanced back up at the throne. The bearded Divine was gone, and in his place stood Q, wearing the same magnificent robes, twirling the scepter effortlessly in his fingers. Jean-Luc lifted his head and his pleasant expression dissolved instantly. "...Dammit."

Q grinned gleefully, opening his arms wide to flaunt his new look. "It _was_ me!" he crowed, stepping regally down the stairs. Jean-Luc wished he would trip on his robes. "And to think, you almost spoiled the surprise!"

Jean-Luc rubbed his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers, sighing deeply. "I'm not sure what else I expected."

"Oh come now," Q chirped, coming to a stop in front of Picard so that the hem of his robes brushed the man's ankles, "you have to admit, that was an _incredible_ entrance."

"Is any of this even real?" Jean-Luc asked, annoyed with himself for wanting to smile.

"It's all real. I just cleaned the place up a little, is all." He admired his scepter, fussing with the impressive jewel fixed to the top. "It's a lonely planet now. It hasn't seen sentient life in several thousand years. _No_ -" Q added pointedly in reply to the look Jean-Luc was leveling him, "it had nothing whatsoever to do with me. I ruled here as Grand Ra'an Kirah off-and-on for only two-hundred years. When I left them they were all perfectly content. But I suppose ten-thousand years - give or take a few wars - can change things quite a little bit."

"So those servants we saw…?"

"An illusion, but an accurate one. A ghost of the past. There's no one here but you and I, love."

Determined not to pick through the specifics of the odd situation he found himself in, Jean-Luc's eyes glided along Q's robes, finding himself abnormally enthusiastic about getting to peel Q out of them. "You really ruled over those in the valley?" Jean-Luc asked. "Dare I ask what sort of ruler you were?"

"No no no," Q flicked his wrist to dismiss the question altogether, "I had no interest in ruling them, that's why I picked this place. At the time, I was sort of… laying low. The Continuum and I weren't seeing eye-to-eye, and I needed a kushy spot to keep a low profile. The Grand Ra'an Kirah is just a glorified position, a symbol of prosperity for the surrounding villages. Every few weeks one of them would journey here to ask for my blessing for something or another, kiss a baby, pray for healthy crops. I would oblige, and they'd be on their way."

"You were 'laying low' for... two-hundred years?" Jean-Luc asked, frowning. "I can't imagine you being in any one place for that long, no matter the reason."

"Well, imagine it," Q smiled, but it was somewhat devoid of humor. "Two-hundred years is nothing to a Q. Especially when they're particularly fond of living, as I tend to be."

Jean-Luc returned his smile, sharing that hint of melancholy. "Our time together must barely register as a millisecond."

Q's eyes suddenly grew gravely serious and he stepped closer, slowly and with purpose, raising a hand to touch Jean-Luc's face. "How many times must I tell you?" he asked gently. "Time is a mortal concept. It is subjective, it means nothing to me. I've told you before, haven't I? My existence begins and ends with you."

"You've mentioned that before, yes." Jean-Luc slid his hands over Q's hips - or where he assumed his hips were, it was hard to tell under the thick layers of holy cloth - and pulled Q closer. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Q smiled, the kind Jean-Luc was so used to seeing whenever Q had the answer to some kind of puzzle that was currently too convoluted for Picard to grasp. "It means what it means," Q answered easily, inclining his head to ghost his lips over Jean-Luc's. "Put simply, it means that my time spent together with you does not have a beginning or an end. It is an endless circle, and it's made more of an impact on my life than all the billions of years I had to spend without you."

Jean-Luc pecked Q's mouth, his breath coming in soft pants, his arousal building much more quickly than usual. "Q…"

He tried to focus his mind to hear Q's, to let Q's thoughts wash over him, but he found it was much more difficult than it was earlier. After their merging it was almost as if their thoughts had been dumped into the same ocean of consciousness, mixing together with only gentle urging, almost like a mind meld but with more control and coherency. It was beautiful, it was comforting, it was everything he never knew he needed but suddenly it felt as though the signal was jammed. For a moment Jean-Luc worried Q might have deliberately put up some kind of wall, but Q dashed those thoughts away when he pressed their lips together hotly, his hands slipping to the low of Jean-Luc's back to hold him close.

( _The effects are most potent just after a merging of that nature. The more we do it, the longer it will last, the stronger it is likely to be._ )

 _Well we better get to it, then_.

( _Ooh, I love it when you're eager_.)

Jean-Luc pulled their lips apart to breathe hot against Q's mouth, taking fistfuls of Q's robes in his hands. "Does this place have a bedroom?" he asked huskily. "Or shall I start undressing you right here, Grand Ra'an Kirah?"

Q's eyes glittered, a nearly visible tremor moving through him just before he snapped his fingers and the throne room dropped away. They fell on top of a huge, perfectly circular bed laden with pillows and blankets in a rainbow of colors and fine silks; the bedroom was lavishly decorated, low-ceilinged and draped in the soft reddish glow of the setting sun, but Jean-Luc could barely appreciate the allure of the atmosphere while Q was nibbling a pattern over his collarbone. Jean-Luc struggled with Q's robes, laughing breathily as his hands fumbled with various clasps and buttons.

"These…. robes are absolutely ridiculous," he chuckled as Q straddled his hips, kissing his neck and jaw with headed adamance.

"They weren't exactly designed to come _off_ ," Q murmured against Jean-Luc's throat, "but I implore you to try regardless."

Jean-Luc grinned. "As much fun as it is to undress you, I'm not entirely sure I have the patience for that task right now," he admitted. Q tsked close to his ear before nibbling on his earlobe, drawing out a soft moan. "I want to touch you, Q."

"How could I possibly deny such a divine request?" The thick layers of impenetrable cloth melted away, granting Jean-Luc access to heated skin and tensing muscle, though Jean-Luc was still dressed in the clothes Q had conjured up for him. It became immediately apparent why Q hadn't dismissed Jean-Luc's clothing along with his own when Q carefully lifted up the loose, see-through pullover and started to meticulously unbutton his undershirt while peppering the exposed skin of his chest with kisses. Jean-Luc gasped as Q's lips found his left nipple, swirling his tongue expertly over the pale nub.

( _It's time to haggle, Jean-Luc_.) Q gently took Jean-Luc’s nipple between his teeth and the Captain moaned, sliding his fingers through Q's soft hair, gripping him tightly. ( _We have so much time to make up for, after all_.)

Everywhere Q touched was like electricity on his skin, setting his every nerve on fire, stirring him up so violently he thought he might come just from Q's lips and voice. He was eager for more touches, more kisses, more everything; he couldn't remember ever feeling quite so needy. Was it because he'd left his title of Captain back on the _Enterprise_? Or did he just desire Q that much?

"Didn't you… _ahh_ … just claim that time meant nothing to you?" Jean-Luc teased, raking his fingers through Q's dark head of hair. Q's mouth traveled further down, his hands meticulously shedding Jean-Luc's clothing as he went along.

( _It matters terribly when I'm attempting to coerce you into an extended vacation_ ,) Q's tongue traced over the right side of Jean-Luc's ribs, sucking gently at the skin just under the curve of his torso. ( _So, if my calculations are accurate, I believe two and a half human years should be just about perfect_.)

Jean-Luc laughed breathlessly, sighing when Q gently dragged his fingernails over his stomach. "I hate how appealing that sounds."

Q glanced up at Jean-Luc with surprise shining in his eyes. "Oh...?" He smirked, lowering his head to press a lingering kiss to his lover's navel. "My technique is working, then."

"Too well," Jean-Luc admitted. "Though perhaps two and a half _days_ might be a more - _ahh_ \- realistic bid."

Q grinned against the skin of his hip. "Two and a half weeks."

"Five days, final offer."

Q's teeth found a sensitive spot just beside Jean-Luc's left hip bone and tended to it with his tongue. "Six, and I'll throw in my own personal guarantee that the next time I demand a vacation, you get to choose the destination _and_ the duration."

"Deal," Jean-Luc choked out, shivering under Q's touch. He tugged on Q's hair urgently. "Get up here and kiss me."

The hue of the room turned from soft red to purple, throwing stripes of gold over the bed as Q obliged to Jean-Luc's request, covering his body with his own, kissing him deeply and with purpose. Q helped him discard his pants and he kicked them off, losing them in the waves of blankets. Jean-Luc groaned into Q's mouth when their cocks touched, sliding against each other like they were meant to fit together. He snapped his hips up, grinding his pelvis into Q's, feeling the entity tense and jerk with desire. Jean-Luc felt Q's need, stronger now like a blazing flame, and he realized he wanted what Q wanted just as much - no, perhaps more. He focused his thoughts and sent them to Q, purely to avoid pulling their mouths apart.

 _Q, I want you to make love to me_. Jean-Luc felt a tremble through Q's body, and although he'd gone to the trouble of speaking directly into Q's mind, Q pulled away to stare down at Jean-Luc with large eyes filled with so much unhinged lust Jean-Luc thought he might drown.

"I thought I was the one treating _you_ this evening," Q growled, his hands sliding down to grip Jean-Luc's bent knees.

"Oh, believe me, you are." Jean-Luc countered with a grin, spreading his legs and jerking his hips teasingly.

Q's eyes softened, contrasting the wild shudder of carnal desire that flew through his essence and touched Jean-Luc's consciousness. He slid his hand up Jean-Luc's thigh and leaned down to kiss his neck with gentle affection. ( _Give me permission to make it easier. I don't want you to feel any discomfort_.)

"Don't bother. I want to feel it all." Jean-Luc moaned, dragging his fingernails over Q's shoulders. He could feel Q's hesitancy flowing into his mind. "Is that why you haven't tried this before now? You were frightened you'd hurt me?"

Q's lips halted on Jean-Luc's skin, and for a moment there was a concerned silence. "Human copulation is… more complicated than I originally expected." Q said in a low voice. "Especially between humans with male anatomy, I've come to realize. I thought so long as I could use my powers to lessen the pain…" He rested his forehead on Jean-Luc's shoulder, breathing a deep, trembling sigh. "It's silly, isn't it?"

Jean-Luc pulled Q into his arms, hugging him tightly. "No. It means you care." He kissed the crown of Q's head. "You won't hurt me. I trust you completely. I want you, every part of you." The next words he murmured close to Q's ear. "I want to feel you so deep inside me I can no longer remember what it's like to be without you there."

As he'd hoped, Q had no further objections. Q kissed him, hot and insistent, plowing Jean-Luc's mouth with his tongue while he re-positioned him. He hiked his hips up, trailing a hand down Jean-Luc's stomach and over his pulsing erection to brush the pads of his fingers over his entrance. Jean-Luc felt a stirring of longing and anticipation building within, which only fueled his desire for a stronger mental connection between them. Q felt his wish, and a slick finger eased slowly into Jean-Luc's ass just as color and light flooded his mind. He gasped from the overload of sensations, trying to keep his balance of physical and mental awareness.

 _Q… Oooh, don't ever -_ ever _\- let this connection weaken again._

( _Let's spend the next six days making sure it doesn't_.) Q's finger pumped into him slowly, prodding Jean-Luc's protesting inner walls to loosen the muscles and open him up. Jean-Luc's fingers dug into Q's shoulders, his mouth open and panting, trying to will his anal muscles to relax. It had been decades since Jean-Luc had done this sort of thing - he was a cadet, it was a one-night fling with a bartender from Bonestell if memory served - but it was slowly coming back to him, the synchronization of his breathing and tensing, the foreign feeling of a digit working into a hole that was unaccustomed to being invaded.

 _More_ , Jean-Luc pleaded into Q's consciousness, all reds and pinks and strong twists of longing. _Give me more. You won't break me, Q, I'm not that fragile_.

Q's own desire and longing were flowing into the pleasure center of Picard's brain, his mouth straying from Jean-Luc's to nibble and lick the strong curve of his jaw. He pushed another finger into Jean-Luc's tight heat, and then a third when his lover's moans became impatient with need.

( _I could spend eternity just listening to you unravel in pleasure_ ,) Q kissed Jean-Luc's collarbone, pumping his fingers methodically into that sweet center, coating his fingers with more lubricant. ( _Watching you, touching you, tasting you_ …) He curled his fingers slightly against Jean-Luc's inner walls and Jean-Luc's moan caught in his throat, his spine bending involuntarily. ( _You're intoxicating. I can never get enough, not in a trillion lifetimes._ )

_Q, I can't take this anymore… I need you inside me, now!_

Sometimes Q enjoyed teasing Jean-Luc far beyond what was necessary, but just now he wasn't in any fit state to exercise his newfound capacity for patience. He removed his fingers and re-positioned himself, grabbing Jean-Luc's legs under the knees and pulling him in so that their hips sat flush. Q pressed the head of his hardened cock against Jean-Luc's prepped entrance, shuddering just from the contact, the idea of what he was being allowed to do. He raked his eyes over Jean-Luc's heaving form, from his lightly panting mouth to the sheen of sweat glistening on his compact, fuzzy chest, down to the beautifully hard and flushed organ laying heavy against his stomach. Q let out a soft sigh, easing his hips forward to press harder against Jean-Luc's tight pucker.

"There is nothing in the universe more tempting, more sublime, more worthy of my time than this." he said, his voice heard in both planes of reality, driving a knife of hot arousal into Jean-Luc's stomach. "I am obsessed with you, Jean-Luc. Hopelessly obsessed."

"I know the feeling," Jean-Luc gasped, slowly inclining his hips to increase the pressure against Q's cock in such an impatient way that he could feel Q's self-control crumble almost to the breaking point. Q ran his hand over Jean-Luc's chest.

( _I love you terribly_.) The words were like a spell, evoking such strong emotions whenever Q said them that Jean-Luc could feel the walls of his consciousness quiver under their weight. He knew saying the words had the same effect on Q in a different way, perhaps a more profound way, so as Q pushed the head of his leaking cock inside of him, he gasped the words deep into Q's consciousness.

They groaned together, immediately finding themselves on the precarious edge of release. It was too much for either of them; the feeling of Q's hot cock inside his tightness was driving Jean-Luc to insanity, and Q was feeling the reverse, trying desperately to adjust to the sensation of his lover's insides clamping down on him without coming on the spot. Q held his position, trying to tame his pleasure, but Jean-Luc hampered his efforts by wrapping his legs around Q's waist to drive him deeper.

Q moaned low in his throat, his brow pinching in bliss, and in no time at all he was throwing himself over Jean-Luc's body, kissing him, fucking him, and together they found a rough but wondrous rhythm as Q pounded him into the sheets. The sharp tinge of pain Jean-Luc initially felt was blurred by the overwhelming pleasure of Q's hot cock driving deeply into him, claiming the space inside as his own, hugged tight by Jean-Luc's twitching, stretched inner muscles. Colors and lights exploded behind Jean-Luc's eyes, pleasure washing over him inside and out. At times he wasn't sure whose pleasure he was experiencing, or if it was a sweet combination of the both of them. He wasn't sure it mattered. All he knew was that he needed more of this, needed to be filled, needed Q to come inside.

It was not much longer for either of them. Their mouths broke apart, gasping and panting, Q thrusting into Jean-Luc with long, rough pumps that were increasing in frantic tenacity the closer they both came to their explosive release.

When Jean-Luc came, he thought perhaps six days wouldn't be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> This chapter was so much fun! We'll be seeing more of Yern in the next chapter, wherein certain things will be discussed softly and with care. 
> 
> Please leave a comment/review if you enjoyed! This community is awesome and I've already met so many amazing people thanks to this fanfic, your comments and support are greatly appreciated! ٩(✿∂‿∂✿)۶


	5. Chapter 5

Waking to the sound of songbirds was almost as jarring as waking to a red alert, but any discombobulation Jean-Luc might have felt was dashed away when he remembered where he was and how he got there. Slowly he became acutely aware of a warm body resting beside him that was running a hand along his spine, up and down in slow, affectionate strokes.

"Morning darling," Q purred, a smile in his voice. "Ooh, how I _love_ saying those words to you unironically."

Jean-Luc chuckled sleepily into the pillow his face was comfortably stuffed into. He rarely slept on his stomach and he _never_ slept without his sheets pulled up around his shoulders, so when he realized the blankets were tangled around his ankles and he was hugging his pillow like he hadn't a care in the world, he almost started laughing. But Q's hand felt too good on his back, and he was so amazingly comfortable he didn't want to move.

"Good morning, Q," Jean-Luc rasped, his throat still worn from their night of lovemaking. It was oddly satisfying, which he assumed Q had anticipated or else it already would have been taken care of, Jean-Luc was certain. "It _is_ morning, isn't it?"

"More like afternoon, but we're not exactly on a tight schedule." Q leaned over to kiss Jean-Luc's shoulder blade. He let his lips linger on the warm skin. "We have three whole weeks together in paradise, after all."

Jean-Luc snorted, shifting slightly to peer up at Q with a playfully accusatory glare. "Whatever happened to six days?"

"Was it only six days?" Q asked seriously, his eyes rolling upward and his lips pulling into a frown of mock consideration. "I could have sworn we agreed upon three weeks. How strange."

"That _is_ rather strange," Jean-Luc grinned, turning to wrap his arms around Q's neck and pull him down into a soft kiss. They parted and Q smiled at him - a genuine smile, no teasing or smugness to be found - and Jean-Luc had to firmly stomp the desire that reemerged within him. There would be plenty of time for all that, but currently his daily bodily demands required his more immediate attention. Q either sampled his thoughts or anticipated his need before he could mention it.

"Breakfast, love?" Q asked softly, holding Jean-Luc a little more tightly in his arms. "After last night I imagine you've worked up quite the appetite."

Jean-Luc grinned. "Sounds wonderful. Though-"

"Yes yes, after using the facilities. You humans and your bladders."

"Well, so much for subtlety." Jean-Luc sighed. He shifted to sit up, and Q gave his shoulder a goodbye kiss before releasing him. "Erm, does this place _have_ a 'facility'?"

Q sat up, suddenly dressed in casual, lightly colored robes that gave off an air of royalty; Jean-Luc wondered with amusement if Q was still dressing as the Grand Ra'an Kirah to impress him or whether he simply wished to blend in with the furniture. "At risk of ruining the immersion, there is a full bathroom with all the comforts of home just over there," Q gestured in the northwestern corner of the room to a previously unnoticed ornate door. Jean-Luc stole a glance around the room - it looked quite different with the early afternoon sun streaming through the red and orange windows - and spotted a large, oval pool situated along the southern wall under the windows, candles lining the marble rim, steam rising faintly from the pristine water.

"I may have updated the room for our stay," Q said, following his lover's gaze with amusement, "I have _lots_ of ideas."

"I'm sure you do," Jean-Luc chuckled, leaning over the bed to press a telling kiss to Q's jaw, "and we have _six days_ to entertain as many of your 'ideas' as you can come up with."

Q groaned theatrically. "Curse your iron-clad memory, Picard!" he spat as Jean-Luc laughed his way to the lavatory.

They ate lunch in bed. Even as a rebellious, loutish youth Jean-Luc had never eaten a meal in bed, but along with his title of Captain he had also decided to lay etiquette aside in this particular case. Q made him like this. He'd given him reason to relax in ways he might not have been able to otherwise, to free him from the part of his life that demanded he remain vigilant and professional even when it wasn't strictly necessary. He'd never disliked that part of himself, he prided himself on it if he was being honest, but until Q gave him that flower he'd never realized how tense it made him, how lonely his nights were. Though he couldn't say it felt entirely comfortable yet, there was something strangely thrilling about the discomfort, so long as Q was with him.

"Is eating even enjoyable to you?" Jean-Luc asked, popping another green, grape-sized fruit into his mouth. Q had just swallowed a small cream pastry that Jean-Luc had found unimaginably delicious a moment ago, but his expression would have easily put Riker's poker face to shame.

Q leaned on his side, propping his head up. "In a way. I enjoy watching _you_ enjoy yourself, actually. Though I can't say I wouldn't rather watch you find enjoyment in another much more _physical_ way."

"So you can't taste it at all?" Jean-Luc inquired, flawlessly dodging Q's lewd insinuation while sipping his tea.

"Of course I can, but why should I?" Q countered, eyeing the silver tray of food as though it were of questionable origin though he himself had conjured it up. "Even during my short stint as a mortal I found it to be nothing but a bother."

"That's right, I forgot that you more than likely ate something during your time on the ship… What did you eat?"

"Chocolate sundaes."

"Chocolate sun _daes_? As in, more than one?" Jean-Luc's lips twitched into an inquisitive smile. "Just how many did you eat?"

"I ordered ten, but I could only finish two of them before I felt worse than I did before I started." He raised his hand and squeezed his forefinger and thumb together in an exaggerated display of measurement. "Human stomachs are so tiny!"

Jean-Luc lowered his cup. "Did your head hurt after you ate?" he asked, tapping his temple, "A sharp pain, right around here?"

Q's eyes blew open. "How did you know?"

"You had a brain freeze." Jean-Luc slapped his thigh, his face lighting up in delight. "Good lord Q, you had a _brain freeze_."

Q's eyes were glowering from the memory but his mouth was twitching upwards at the corners, infected by Jean-Luc's rare good humor. "You seem to think this is all very funny."

Jean-Luc smiled at Q over his tea cup. "I'm sorry, I promise I'm not happy about how miserable you were… It's just hard to imagine, knowing you once had to deal with such an inconsequential mortal discomfort. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish I'd been there."

"Oh ho," Q shook a finger at him, "if you'd been there, you would have been _delighting_ in my misery, even more than you are now. This was years ago, after all. I was a pest to you then."

"Perhaps I would have." Jean-Luc's gaze became far away as he recalled the event. "I didn't believe you'd really had your powers taken away. Almost until the end, really. And even when I entertained the possibility that you were telling the truth, I admit I didn't want to… deal with you." He found Q's eyes and held his gaze. "I'm sorry."

Q smiled warmly, sending a surge of potent fondness into Jean-Luc's center. "Oh, you have nothing to apologize for. Besides, if we start trading apologies, I worry my list will be significantly longer than yours."

"I certainly can't argue with you there." Jean-Luc set his empty cup on the tray of food, and Q snapped the tray away, raking his eyes over Jean-Luc body with a different sort of hunger shining behind his dark irises. He pushed himself up slowly, like an animal stalking prey, and languidly approached Jean-Luc until their noses were almost touching. Jean-Luc felt like he could get truly lost in that piercing gaze.

"Let's say we skip the apologies and go straight to making it up to each other, shall we?" he growled in his low-rumbling voice, like a claim to be laid.

.

.

.

Jean-Luc was quick to discover that time was difficult to keep on an alien planet devoid of life, especially when he was having so much distracting sex.

It seemed that the days on Yern stretched longer than an average Earth day, by how much Jean-Luc wasn't certain, but it was enough to convince him that his vague 'six days' compromise might have been Q's gambit all along. Everything considered, he absolutely couldn't complain, though he did feel a little guilty for enjoying himself so thoroughly for so many uninterrupted hours.

Q's head tilted back and let out a sharp moan that was practically musical. Jean-Luc snapped his hips forward, driving his cock deep into Q's tight heat, holding his ankles firmly up on his shoulders. His eyes sought to memorize the way Q looked underneath him, his chest heaving and glistening with a sheen of sweat, his stomach muscles undulating attractively as his own hips rutted back against Picard's, his expression twisted in pleasure and just a hint of wonder, as though every time they came together was their first, an entirely new and overwhelming sensation. And no matter how many times Jean-Luc looked he couldn't get enough, couldn't feel or touch enough, and a part of him worried that someday the temptation to exist like this forever would become too loud an impulse to ignore.

He'd never known love to be like this, to _make_ him like this, so obsessive and consuming and dangerously lost to passion. Romantic affairs used to be a momentary distraction, a necessary flurry of lust to satiate the special brand of loneliness that accompanied a Starfleet career. With Q, it was like something he'd never known had somehow slid into place and allowed him to finally have happiness, _real_ happiness, not simply a joyful moment with fond goodbyes.

Hours passed and Q was fucking him again, this time in the candlelit bath as Jean-Luc held onto the smooth rim, head bowed as Q pounded into him from behind. The room was dark, illuminated only by the candles; how long had they been going at it, exactly? It was like a dream - admittedly the best dream Jean-Luc had ever had - with no beginning, no end and only pleasure to concern oneself with.

Jean-Luc groaned low in his throat, Q's cock sliding hot against his prostate. Warm water sloshed against his stomach as Q drove deeply into him, hardly able to restrain the full extent of his lust. Jean-Luc didn't want him to restrain a single shred, so he snapped his hips back to force Q deeper still, finding it almost challenging to declare his desire through only physical means. A floral, vaguely spicy aroma wafted from the candles lining their bath, filling Jean-Luc's lungs with pleasant heat, making his head fuzzier than it already was.

"Don't- _haah_ \- you _dare_ hold back," Jean-Luc moaned as Q bent over Jean-Luc's back and lay hot kisses over the back of his neck. "I want… _aah_ … all of you, deeply, completely-"

"You'll have it," Q groaned, plunging into Jean-Luc's tight heat, water spilling over the rim of the tub as their bodies grinded together toward a singular purpose. "You own all of me, Jean-Luc, _aahh_ , all of me, everything that I am…!"

"I know," Jean-Luc cried, his body seizing in pleasure as Q's hand dipped into the water to firmly grasp his aching cock, stroking it in time with his slick thrusts, feeding Jean-Luc's mind an image from his own limited human perspective. Jean-Luc could see himself being stared down by Q's eyes. He could plainly see the shameless fervor of his own body as he pressed back rhythmically against Q's cock over and over to drive the entity deeper inside. The sight of it filled Jean-Luc with a hot mixture of arousal and embarrassment, but ultimately his lust won out and Q intensified his efforts, pumping Jean-Luc with long, deep thrusts and flooding his mind with images of the act, focusing his attentions on the wet, flushed spot where their bodies were joining.

It wasn't long before Jean-Luc was coming harder than he'd ever come before, bright lights shooting past his eyes, gripping the rim of the tub so hard his knuckles bleached white. Q's orgasm was just as explosive but thankfully he maintained the clarity needed to keep Jean-Luc's limp body from slipping beneath the bath water, switching their positions to sit on the bench lining the inside of the bath to carefully pull Jean-Luc onto his lap.

"I love you," Q whispered into Jean-Luc's ear desperately. He repeated the words over and over, holding Jean-Luc against him, laying insistent kisses to Jean-Luc's warmed, wet skin. Jean-Luc lay boneless against Q's long body, fighting to win his breath back, Q's words of adoration flowing into him and claiming every part of him.

The post-coitus bliss was shortlived. In mere moments they were kissing, grinding, touching as though they hadn't had physical contact in weeks. It felt dangerous. Jean-Luc knew he could lose himself to this, to this constant stream of pleasure, but presently he couldn't bring himself to care. He wanted Q, fiercely and completely, and so long as they were on this planet time didn't matter.

Jean-Luc was turning Q over and slipping inside him. Q was moaning, his insides throbbing and caressing Jean-Luc's cock with each pump, flooding his mind with sweet euphoria. Dangerous, that's what this was.

Or perhaps Picard was simply unaccustomed to having too much of a good thing.

.

.

.

For close to three days Jean-Luc hadn't taken so much as a step outside of the palace's bedroom. It wasn't exactly a marathon to be proud of, but it most certainly deserved to have sonnets written in its honor. The most frightening thing was the undeniable fact that Jean-Luc could have easily spent the whole six days - or the originally suggested two and a half years, even - in that bedroom doing nothing but exploring Q's human body in every conceivable way. The only thing that had prompted him into suggesting a walk outside the palace was his mortal desire to stretch his legs, change his scenery and take a deep breath that wasn't followed immediately by a cry of pleasure.

Yern was breathtakingly beautiful after the sun went down. The sky's atmosphere gave the night sky a deep purple-green hue that soaked the horizon like a watercolor painting. The moons arched over the chilly sands and mountains, stretching halfway across the sky in a haphazard pattern. Jean-Luc could see his breath escape in soft clouds, but felt no chill on his poorly covered skin. He glanced at Q as they walked along.

"Wouldn't it be just as much effort to… I don't know, dress me more warmly instead of altering my resistance to the cold?" he asked.

Q grinned and allowed his eyes to rake over Jean-Luc's form in consideration. "You have a point, but then how would I enjoy the low neckline I make specifically for your amazing chest? Or those _sleeves_?" He sighed dreamily. "Have I told you how much I love your forearms? They are positively attractive."

Jean-Luc snorted. "Is that all I am to you? A cheap floozie to oogle?"

"I would hardly call you cheap, Picard. It took me _twelve years_ to get into your pants. I could watch the birth and death of a million stars in that time." Q replied wryly, snaking an arm behind Jean-Luc's waist to press a kiss to his jaw.

"Ah, well. At least I made you work for it."

They walked quietly for several minutes while Jean-Luc led them across the sands, taking in the sights. Q made no suggestion as to what direction they should head. He was revelling in Jean-Luc's curiosity, more interested in following his aimless footsteps than making conversation or trying to impress him with his intimate knowledge of the planet's geography. It was nice, in a strange way, like they were an average couple going for an average stroll, which was so hilariously far from the truth it barely suited them. They climbed a steep dune just at the edge of the desert, finding themselves on a low-sloping cliff face that jutted out over the valley Q had mentioned days ago. They sat down side-by-side, legs hanging over the cliff. Jean-Luc watched the arching moons, breathing deeply through his nose. After a time, he spoke.

"Q."

"Hm?"

Jean-Luc leaned back on his arms. "Is this some sort of… gift? Bringing me here to this planet, seeing to my every want and desire?" Q's head jerked in his direction sharply, and Jean-Luc offered him a fond smile. "It isn't that I'm suspicious, or unhappy. I'm only curious."

Q noticeably settled, relieved. "It's hardly a selfless effort, Jean-Luc, if you could even call it effort on my part. If I could have you alone for all eternity I would jump on the chance. Though obviously, making you happy has the uncanny side-effect of making _me_ happy, which quite frankly still confuses me." He quirked a brow. "Are you concerned about something?"

"Maybe I am. I suppose I want to be sure you aren't trying to dazzle me, or… I'm not sure." He pulled a leg up and propped his arm on his knee, finding Q's expressive eyes and capturing his gaze firmly. "I want to make sure you know that you don't need to bring me to uncharted locations or glittering palaces in order to keep me. I don't care where we are or what we're doing, I just want to be with you for as long as possible."

Q matched his stare for a long moment, his expression discernable, and finally he glanced up at the sky. "Do something for me."

"What's that?"

"Blink your eyes, just once." Q requested flippantly.

Jean-Luc furrowed his brow at Q for a moment before complying, putting emphasis on the action just to make whatever point Q was trying to make clearer. "Alright. Now why have I just done that?"

"Easy, wasn't it?" Q asked, with all the cheesy nuance of a luxury shuttlecraft salesman.

"Of course it was, it's _blinking_. We do it whether we think of it or not. It's an autonomic function of the body."

Q smirked the way he used to when prodding Jean-Luc in the vague direction of a lesson to be learned. "Precisely. And you should know that using my powers is very much the same. Bringing you here was as simple as blinking my eyes. Taking you back in time for our first date was no different."

"As easy as snapping your fingers?" Jean-Luc asked, also recalling Amanda's unique hand gesture that had served her the same. "I always knew it was purely aesthetic, but I suppose I hadn't given much thought to the significance."

Q tutted. "You're usually such a stickler for details, _mon capitaine_."

"Well. A 'gift' doesn't necessarily require effort on the part of the giver. It's the intention that matters, and my concern is that-"

"That my intention is to tempt you with brilliant feats of unimaginable power to keep you near me and ensure you don't ever think of leaving me?" Q finished airily. Jean-Luc grimaced somewhat.

"Q, that wasn't-"

"No, it's fine. After three days of pouring our minds into each other I'd say we have a fairly good grasp of what the other is thinking by now, even those little shreds of elusive thought we may be trying to keep private. I admit the thought has crossed my mind." Q glanced sidelong at Jean-Luc with a somber expression. "When we first met, all I wanted was to terrify and amaze you with the power of Q. I thought bringing you before my court would have you trembling and begging for mercy, but instead you stubbornly reasoned with me, denied me and fought me even though you were powerless to alter my actions. After that, how could I stay away? I wanted to show you what you were up against, I still wanted to see that ripple of wonder and awe in your eyes. I knew it wouldn't be easy, mind you, which is why I chose Riker for my next visit… And _still_ you weren't impressed. You weren't tempted by the power of Q - not even a _little_ \- and what's worse, you were wholly unconcerned over Riker's brush with godliness. You knew he would deny me, and that drove me _crazy_."

Jean-Luc laughed. "You know, thinking back, I do believe we had the _strangest_ foreplay."

"And the lengthiest." Q groaned.

"So that's it, then? It's hard for you to… stop trying to impress me?"

Q's brow crinkled and he crossed his arms over his chest. "In a way, I suppose. It's much simpler than that, Jean-Luc, much simpler."

"Do tell."

Q's lips pulled into a fluid grin. "It's less about impressing you and more about spoiling you."

Jean-Luc laughed through his nose. "Spoiling me, really. I'm hardly in the habit of being spoiled. I suppose that makes it difficult to recognize."

"All the more reason I love to do it," Q hummed, "you deserve the universe, Jean-Luc, and I would be the entity to give it to you. I would give you anything you could ever ask of me, anything at all, without even a moment's hesitation. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes," Jean-Luc answered swiftly, and with a fair amount of passion. "I know. And _you_ must know that I don't want anything other than you. The glittering temptations of the universe don't interest me in the slightest."

Q tilted his head to press a kiss to Jean-Luc's lips, soft and lingering. He pulled away just enough to stare deeply into his lover's eyes. "Don't you realize how maddening that is?" he asked him quietly. "Any other mortal would abandon their meager principles as soon as they knew what I could offer them. They would use me like a genie in a bottle, there would be no end to the requests. And if I loved them like I love you, I would give them absolutely anything, everything, no matter what it was or who it harmed, no matter how much of me was lost in the process."

Jean-Luc felt a small swelling of jealously surge within him at the mere mention of another hypothetical mortal lover, which nearly made him laugh at how ridiculously possessive he'd become. Q felt it as well, and the corner of his mouth twitched in response. Jean-Luc shot him a stern look. "Well then, I suppose the universe is fortunate that you chose to love me."

The twitch became a somewhat devious smile. "Not more fortunate than I," he purred. "Though I assure you, there is no other mortal that has, was or does exist that could make me feel like this. It isn't just that I fell in love with you, Jean-Luc, it isn't that cliche. I didn't _know_ love until I met you. You forged it within me and fanned life into it. The Q don't know this emotion, we have no need of it." His smile dropped and his expression became deadly serious. "I exist for you, and you alone."

As he often did, Jean-Luc found himself searching Q's dark eyes, looking for the final pieces of the puzzle that Q always conveniently left dangling. And he could feel it, the true meaning behind Q's words, all the things that couldn't be easily said, and it seemed a great deal more than material fancies and beautiful sights Q wanted to bestow upon him. What Q really wanted was to mend the wounds, to turn back time and fill in the broken pieces of Jean-Luc's heart, and he wanted Jean-Luc to give him permission to do it. Every dark memory, every horrible grasping pain, he wanted to unmake them. And even more deeply buried under this burning desire lay yellow and orange stripes of regret and guilt and shame, pulsing with the names Locutus, Robert and Rene. Jean-Luc pulled his mind out of Q's before he went too far. He rested their foreheads together, breathing a shuddering sigh through his lips.

"You once told me that love made me weak." he said.

Q smiled sadly. "I was right in a way, wasn't I?" he asked quietly. "I've never felt weaker. Until I met you, I did things only for myself. My contentedness was all that mattered. I thought that risking everything for someone else was frivolous at best."

"But now you know that isn't true." Jean-Luc whispered.

"Yes. And I also know that where love makes me weak and foolish, it gives me a sort of strength I didn't expect. If the Q knew, I'm sure they wouldn't so adamantly dismiss the idea."

"You can't be the only Q who has ever felt love, or loved someone else," Jean-Luc said, mostly because statistically it seemed impossible to assume such a thing. "Can you?"

"No, I would think not." Q huffed a laugh through his nose. "Though, the Continuum considers such things a damnable weakness. Something aberrant to what it means to be Q. I spent most of my existence agreeing with that viewpoint. A Q like myself would be deemed mentally unbalanced and recklessly deviant for having such primitive feelings." His lips curled in a sardonic smile. "It wouldn't be the first time I've been marked as defective."

"What about the war you've told me about?" Jean-Luc asked. "Didn't the status quo relent and allow for more individualism within the Continuum after Junior was born?"

For an instant, Q's eyes looked a fraction wearier from the memory. "I'm afraid Kathy was right when she told me a brand new Q would be nothing more than a 'quick fix'. The Continuum is still very divided on the idea of individualism, or even what _defines_ individualism by Q standards. The fighting ceased only because neither side was particularly interested in ripping time-space to shreds, and…" Q's dark eyes suddenly widened and his sentence died on his lips, his consciousness grasping a stray thread of worry from his companion. "Oh, oh no. Jean-Luc, believe me, I won't let the Continuum interfere with what we have. I've told you before, at present time I don't believe any of my brothers or sisters would have reason to bother themselves with this, and I'm under no obligation to tell them about it."

"Perhaps not now, but that could change," Jean-Luc pointed out. "Q, is it possible the Continuum could punish you for this? Could they take your powers away as they did before?"

"If they do, I'm confident I won't be spending the majority of my time in your brig this time around." Q leaned in to lay a soft kiss to Jean-Luc's lips. "I trusted you then and I trust you now. Maybe mortality wouldn't be so bad as long as you're with me. As long as you love me."

A ripple of worry tore through the both of them at exactly the same moment. The fear that something like that was possible, the fear that if the Continuum were to take away Q's immortality because of his love for Jean-Luc, they might not let the two of them stay together. The fear that it was even a possibility.

The hard reality that no, Q did not want to be mortal ever again, not if he could help it. And Jean-Luc did not want that for him either.

Jean-Luc curled his fingers behind Q's head and kissed him deeply. He poured himself into Q's consciousness, nestling himself there, travelling so far he nearly lost his physical senses.

_That's a very human sentiment, what you've just said._

(Please _don't remind me._ )

 _I won't. I'll remind you of_ this _instead._

Jean-Luc flooded Q's mind with his affection and adoration, and immediately he felt Q push back into him, his own emotions becoming hasty and desperate with need. How had he ever tolerated a relationship that lacked this level of intimacy? For a flash Jean-Luc understood what Deanna had gone through when she temporarily lost her empathic powers, how she suddenly felt a disturbing lack of depth with her friends and peers. If Jean-Luc ever lost this connection to Q, he wasn't sure he could cope. It felt so natural to touch Q's mind, to pour himself inside, to experience sensations on a second plane of reality and to feel what Q feels, as real as if it were happening to himself. To love him more deeply than would be possible otherwise.

 _I will always love you, no matter what._ Jean-Luc promised firmly. _I won't let anything tear us apart, Q. If you believe anything, please believe that._

Too much of a good thing. That's what Q wanted to give him, in every way imaginable. The more Jean-Luc considered it, the more he realized he wanted to give Q just as much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I always imagined the "Junior" conversation happened in some really flippant way, like basically they're talking about something or other one day and Q says something offhanded like “Yeah, and my son--” and Picard is just “....excuse me yoUR WHAT” and Q is all “Oh didn’t I tell you I have a son? I mean “son” is a strong word lol but I’m not sure what else to call it that would make sense to you, he’s a Q that was created from the combined thoughts and energy of myself and another Q - we did it to end a war in the Continuum - but you know, he’s a _Q_ , so it’s not like you have to help me raise him--” “OKAY I GET IT” “--unless you WANT to, _mon capitaine_ ~ How domestic! Should I tell Junior he has another daddy?” “Q STOP”
> 
> Sorry to everyone who hates the whole "Q civil war" arc, I promise none of my fics will focus on those events too heavily, though Lady Q and Junior will make brief appearances in the next fic. I myself don't really mind the civil war arc, mostly because I have my own headcanons about how all of it works, none of which involve Lady Q being Q's literal "mate" or any variation thereof. Does anyone else have civil war headcanons? I'd love to hear them!
> 
> Two more chapters to go! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

One unexpected side-effect of Jean-Luc's newly implemented association with Q was how utterly boring diagnostic reports had become. To be fair, they'd always been boring, but after six long and wonderful days vacationing on a distant world in a shining palace with an omnipotent lover, their drabness seemed significantly more pronounced. Usually he returned from forced shore leave eager to jump back into his familiar work-filled agenda, but today he found his thoughts drifting far more than he considered allowable. Maybe Q was rubbing off on him. The thought was mildly terrifying.

The door of his ready room alerted him to a visitor and Picard gratefully set his padd down on the desk, happy for the distraction. "Come."

He knew it was Riker before he saw the beard and broad shoulders passing through the doorway. For days now his first officer had been oddly quiet, walking around him as though the bridge floor were covered in glass. It felt distinctly like something was coming to a head, and Picard had a very good idea what that something was.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Will asked, his eyes falling on the padd. Jean-Luc shook his head and leaned his arms on his desk, a show of undivided attention.

"No, not at all. Very much in need of a distraction, actually."

The smile Riker flashed him was just a placeholder for his obvious hesitation. He was silent for a moment longer than usual, but finally seemed to remember whatever it was that had nudged him through the door in the first place.

"I just thought I'd give you an update on the situation. We've reestablished communications with the checkpoint. The damage suffered from the Romulan warbird wasn't severe. I've got Geordi and Data down there to offer some extra hands until a repair ship can get here."

Jean-Luc's brow raised. "That's good news, certainly. Though, I have a feeling that's not what you're really here to talk about, especially considering I was updated on all of this not a half hour ago."

Will's smile slipped a little. "Am I that transparent?"

Jean-Luc grinned fondly. "Perhaps not to someone who hasn't known you quite as long as I have."

Will relaxed, his posture reflecting his relief. "I suppose twelve years will have that effect." His eyes slid to the small table beside the couch and the new item that now sat on its reflective surface, a stone tablet painted the color of Yern's unique sky with a dim blue orb pulsing gently at its center. "I don't remember seeing this before. Is it new?"

"More or less," Picard stood from his chair and straightened his uniform. "Q and I stumbled upon it in some alien ruins recently. As a general rule I don't enjoy disturbing ancient ruins or removing artifacts from them, but these were fairly common in the caves we found. I stopped counting at two-hundred and decided to just bring one back with me." Riker's face went rather ashen and his brows shot up. His smile was strained and vaguely uncomfortable, but Jean-Luc had expected that much at least.

"That's… Well, that's great. Looks good in here." Was all he said. You could have cut the tension in the room with a bat'leth.

Jean-Luc gestured to the couch with an understanding smile. "Have a seat."

Will conceded without objection and sat himself down, clasping his hands together between his wide-spread legs. Jean-Luc joined him on the opposite end, crossing a leg over his knee. One thing Jean-Luc had learned in his first few months of Captaincy was that silence was often more effective than inquiring; in Will's case that usually proved especially true, but today he wasn't nearly so forthcoming. It took several moments for him to work up the nerve to breach the quiet, and when he did, he did so with a breathy laugh.

"I… Captain, I don't quite know where to begin."

"At the beginning, preferably," Jean-Luc gently urged.

Riker sighed hugely. "I wanted to talk about… Q. If that isn't asking too much, sir."

"It certainly isn't." Jean-Luc replied. "Truthfully I knew this conversation was coming. Your opinion is important to me, Will, and I need to know you're alright with…" he cleared his throat, finding it more difficult than he thought to speak so frankly, "...with Q and I."

The look on Will's face suggested that he'd already discovered more than he'd expected, which was equal parts humorous and disconcerting. The commander tried to relax his expression into something considerably less dumbfounded. "So… The two of you are…?"

"Yes." Speaking candidly of his romantic relationships always proved a rare challenge, but Jean-Luc found that taking claim of his relationship with Q was ridiculously easy. It shot a thrill through him, a certain brand of pride that swelled inside his mechanical heart and for a wild moment, he wanted to repeat himself again and again. It was an entirely new sensation, one that he worried was so unlike him it may make his first officer more suspicious than he already was. "Q and I are together."

Riker nodded as though he'd just heard that the weather was going to be pleasant in the morning. "I…. see."

"You don't approve." It was less of a question and more of a concern. Will sucked his lips into his mouth for a contemplative moment.

"My approval isn't required. Your private relationships are of no concern of mine, Captain."

Along with starting to find diagnostic reports boring, Jean-Luc found he was also becoming slightly more impatient when it came to common civility. "I couldn't disagree more. Will, there's no one on this ship whose approval matters more to me. Except perhaps Guinan, but I am _not_ ready to have this talk with her for another twenty years or so."

They shared a laugh, and some of the tension in the room cleared away. Will leaned back into the cushions. "It's just… surprising. I thought I had you figured out. If I had to place bets on who Captain Picard was going to end up with, I have to admit that Q wouldn't have been on the list. No where near it, in fact."

"I can't say I felt very differently a few weeks ago." Jean-Luc grimaced suddenly. " _Please_ tell me there isn't a ship-wide pool on my possible romantic escapades."

"If there were, sir, I'm sure Data would be a rich man right now." Riker said wryly. Jean-Luc suppressed a groan. He'd completely forgotten that Data had likely known exactly what was going on the moment he'd left his ready room with thoughts of romantic flower meanings swimming around his positronic net. "Captain… Permission to speak frankly."

"Always."

Will sucked a steady breath in through his nose and let it out slow. "Q? Seriously, _Q_?" His voice carried a note of hushed hysteria that almost would have been funny if Jean-Luc hadn't known he was being sincere. " _How_ is it _Q_?"

"Which part is the most distressing? That he's a Q? That he _is_ Q?"

"Yes and yes," Riker groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I just can't make heads or tails of it. This is the same Q who introduced us to the Borg, who used to raise absolute _Hell_ every time he popped up, who had us all prancing around Sherwood Forest in ridiculous costumes-"

"The Q who introduced us to the Borg to prevent humanity from being taken entirely off guard, the Q who has saved my life - and the lives of this crew, more or less - on more than one occasion. The Q who could have crushed us into interstellar dust one million times over but strangely never did." Jean-Luc watched Riker's expression morph with each word, an entire play of slowly manifesting realization passing over his face as each point was made. "Believe me, Will, I don't need to be reminded of Q's many - _many_ \- past faults. He and I have already talked this subject to death."

Will relaxed into an appropriately more apologetic posture. "I'm sorry, Captain, I don't mean to…" He blew a sigh through his lips. "There's nothing I can say that you haven't already considered one-hundred times over, is there?"

The Captain smiled gently. "Not likely, no." A pause, and then, "And it's more in the realm of five-hundred, by now."

"So basically, I'm just sitting here making an ass of myself."

The Captain's smile grew. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Will."

Riker scratched his fingers through his beard. "No chance we could get Q to snap his fingers and go back to a time before this conversation happened?"

Jean-Luc laughed through his nose. "I'm not sure it will have to come to all that. I'm glad you came to me, commander. I'd rather we clear this up than let it stagnate. If you have any concerns, I'd truly like to hear them."

"My concern is only that. Concern." Will's icy blue eyes burned into Jean-Luc's with earnest sincerity. "I trust you, you _know_ I do. I would follow you into Hell if you ordered it, sir, and that's no exaggeration. I don't think for a second that you would lower your guard if you didn't feel you were in complete control of the situation, or if you weren't sure Q was trustworthy. I just find it hard to apply a word like 'trust' to a being with God-like powers and a questionable moral compass." He sighed resignedly. "I couldn't even trust _myself_ when I was endowed with those sorts of powers. The man I'd worked my whole life to become dissolved the moment I saw what I was capable of. I never wanted to admit this out loud, but the experience made me understand the Q a little bit better. When I had those powers, it was as if the principles I'd always believed in were suddenly insignificant and far away. They didn't matter anymore, because I could do _anything_ with no consequences for my actions."

If Jean-Luc claimed he didn't understand what his first officer was getting at, he'd be as big a liar as Riker assumed Q to be. It made sense, naturally, and although Jean-Luc knew some part of him should be angry about what Will was insinuating, he couldn't bring himself to think so narrow-mindedly. Were their roles reversed, he was positive he would be just as concerned.

Jean-Luc slowly stood, straightening out his uniform and pacing to his end table, running his hand over the top of the stone tablet. "The truth is, Will, you're absolutely right." he said. "Q doesn't totally understand our principles, and I think it would be perfectly fair to say he barely respects them. But he intends to prove that he can be trusted. It's very important to him, actually, what you all think of him."

Will's eyes blew open. "That so?" He chuckled. "I'm having a real hard time picturing Q being worried over something like that. Or anything other than himself, for that matter."

"Believe me, I was as surprised as you are." Jean-Luc knocked his knuckles gently against the top of the tablet. The blue orb burned intensely and then rapidly died back down. "This is going to take time, and I understand that. Q is never going to be mortal, he will _always_ be Q - and because of that, there is always going to be a shred of doubt. He's prepared for that, I think, but I want you to know that Q has my full and complete trust."

Will leaned back, a somewhat relieved smile curling the corner of his mouth. "Well, then. That's all that matters."

"No, not all." Jean-Luc returned to his seat, sitting a little closer than before. "What matters is that this relationship is not going to skew my judgement in any way, nor will it alter my dedication to Starfleet, this ship or my crew. I promise you that. All I ask is that you give Q a fair chance, and continue to trust me as you always have."

Will clapped a hand firmly on Jean-Luc's shoulder, leveling him a look that betrayed absolutely nothing. "On that, Captain, I can solemnly give you my word." He offered Jean-Luc a sideways grin. "Oh, and I'll have to remember to tell Data to turn on his emotion chip; he is going to be _thrilled_."

.

.

.

Travelling at the speed of light is only fun if you aren't picky about what you're looking at, which usually Q wasn't, but most times if he was all out of ideas how to amuse himself he preferred a slightly slower method of travel so he could soak in the sights. Currently he was a blob of hot gas roughly the size of Earth hurtling through space in a stream of hyperactive materials, watching with slack attention as the vast universe slipped by him. Somehow it wasn't as entertaining as it usually was, nor was it bringing him peace of mind. In fact, it felt oddly hollow and lonely, eliciting only a desire to be doing literally anything other than what he was doing. He longed to be elsewhere with a fierceness he couldn't recall experiencing before. If he had to apply a mortal descriptor to the sensation, it made him feel sick.

By the time the universe had whizzed past him a third time, Q couldn't ignore the persistent tug on his essence any longer. The sick feeling was new to him but Captain Picard was not, and of the many things Q had learned during his time as Jean-Luc's enemy, friend and eventual lover, he knew that this remarkable human tended to alleviate the hurt when it became too much. In his point in linear time Jean-Luc was still on duty, but Q had been meaning to give the _Enterprise_ a proper look-around since he and his Captain had patched things up.

Q stuffed himself into his claustrophobic human form and appeared in a curved hallway on a randomized deck of the ship, three gleaming pips on his starfleet collar, hands clasped loosely behind his back. His mortal frame heaved a huge sigh of relief as the artificial lights glared down at him from the sleek paneled ceilings. Q shut his eyes and breathed in deeply. The unmistakable stale, metallic smell of the _Enterprise_ coupled with the deep hum of her engines put him at ease. Such an odd comfort. The sick, sunken feeling was instantly flung away, which was disconcerting to say the least. It wasn't exactly news that being near Jean-Luc made him happy, but since when had stepping foot on this silly little starship begun to provide the same effect? Since when did taking a mortal form become as familiar as time travel, as satisfying as altering the gravitational constant of the universe? Q shooed those thoughts away and started moving, not focusing on a particular direction or destination. If meandering through these halls until Picard was off-duty kept the hollowness at bay, he supposed there were worse ways to pass the time.

For over an hour Q walked and simply observed. He passed by engineering, crew quarters, a pair of empty meeting rooms, a handful of transporter rooms, and only when he found himself nearing the new Ten Forward did he strategically turn tail and scurry to deck 15. When he was positive Guinan's damnable awareness couldn't reach him, he found himself standing outside holodeck 3, and he realized that maybe he'd had a destination in mind all along.

Not bothering with doors, locks or decorum Q slipped into the holodeck though the wall, the smell of wet soil immediately assaulting his delicate human senses. Wild jungle surrounded him on every side, giant leaves and trees that tempted him to take another form that might navigate the simulation more satisfactorily. He decided against it, if only because he needed the gelfa to recognize him if he were to stumble across them, which surely he would. He intended to, if he was being honest. Their unique situation stirred his interest, and there was absolutely no other reason he would bother himself with them whatsoever if not for healthy curiosity. No, not at all.

Q wandered through the thick jungle, ducking under giant purple leaves and batting large horned beetles from his path until he came across a crude hut in a clearing, surrounded by tools and building materials. ( _Unyielding little buggers, aren't they?_ ) Q dance-stepped to a nearby tree and hopped up onto a low-sloping branch. He leaned against the trunk and hiked a leg up. It wouldn't be long before the forest children returned to their simulated playhouse, and he always enjoyed abusing the element of surprise.

The female spotted him first. She froze along the stomped-out path to their hut, arms full of freshly gathered branches and plant stalks. Her brother noticed her gaze and followed it, and before Q could utter a word the both of them dropped to their knees, supplies spilling from their spindly arms. Q rolled his eyes so hard his head followed the motion.

"Oh for goodness- Get up, little dears, you were told I wasn't your Drippy moon king or whatever it was."

"D-dristat," Strenn gently corrected, slowly rising and helping his sister up as well.

"Yes yes. You should know, usually I don't discourage creatures like yourselves from likening me to their Gods, but the Captain is a close personal friend of mine, and he's quite fond of you both. He's very interested in your contentedness and I don't care to upset him."

The gelfa hesitantly stepped closer, staring up at Q in his tree with their huge, searching eyes. "The Captain Picard is very kind to us," Vi'ik said softly. "His kindness is shared by his people. Our only fear is that we are unable to repay the kindness the humans have shown us."

Q perked a brow, idly swinging his dangling leg. "They _are_ kind, aren't they? It's almost disgusting, the depth of their kindness. I used to think it was a glaring weakness. And it still might be, but Picard is good at teaching you to appreciate that special brand of weakness." He tilted his head at them. "So how are you faring, kiddos? Happy? Healthy? Successfully fending off the impending despair over your unfortunate situation?"

Strenn busied himself by picking up their fallen materials, carrying them to a makeshift bench that sat just next to their cooking fire. "We are doing well. The Captain Picard has allowed us to live in this false world for as long as we desire, though we do not wish to trouble the humans any longer than necessary."

Q leaned forward in interest. "Oh? Does that mean you'll be moving into the boring ol' crew quarters soon? Pity. After all the trouble you've gone to, to make such a magnificently shoddy little home of your own."

"Is there a purpose to your visit?" Vi'ik's voice suddenly carried a sharp edge of impatience, as though she'd finally realized the carefully threaded mockery in Q's words. In truth, it wasn't really Q's intention to tease, but he could rarely miss an opportunity to test the naivety of mortal creatures. Now that they were onto him, though, snarkiness was only going to cost him if word ever got back to Picard.

"I simply wanted to check in and see how you two were doing. Would you like me to leave?"

Vi'ik's defensiveness faltered. "No, it… no. You are welcome here. The Captain Picard trusts you deeply." Strenn watched his sister for a long moment before turning his attention to Q in the tree.

"What is your name?" he asked. "We were not told."

Q's mouth pulled into a slow grin, and he told them.

"Q." Strenn carefully considered the name, his brow crinkling. "Q, may I ask you a question?"

"Please do."

"You are… not like the others, are you?" he asked, a tremble of hesitancy in his voice, the simple, unobtrusive fear of the unknown. "You are not human?"

"It would be pointless to deny it, little dear."

Neither of them looked particularly surprised, but Q suspected they'd known from the moment they laid eyes on his mountainous aura. Vi'ik clasped her hands together. "What are you, if not human? How do you come to look like them?"

"It's a talent." Q snapped his fingers and appeared standing beside the siblings in the modest form of a four-foot tall dark-haired gelfa dressed in a sticky leaf tunic, unfazed by the jump of alarm his transformation roused in the creatures. "I can look like anything." Q explained, snapping his fingers again to return to normal. "Before you get your leaves all in a bunch, let me remind you that _no_ , I am not your God nor any God for that matter, divine or otherwise. I'm simply a lifeform beyond your current realm of understanding."

The gelfa relaxed, though they'd squished closer together as they stared round-eyed up at the entity. Suddenly Q realized how he towered over them in his human body and leaned back against the nearest tree with his arms crossed to assume a less threatening posture. As soon as he'd done it, the question of "why" pulsed in Q's core, troubling him only until he convinced himself to stop thinking on it. Since when did he concern himself with the comfort of lesser creatures, anyway?

"That is an extraordinary talent," Vi'ik spoke in barely a whisper, eyeing Q's tall figure up and down as if to discern how he'd done such a trick. "It is hard not to consider you a God when you display such tremendous power."

"If you've got it, flaunt it!" Q chirped, sweeping his arms out wide.

"So you are not like the Captain Picard, but you are still mated to him?" Strenn asked, somewhat bewildered. A pleasant surge of ecstasy spread through Q's center, and it must have reflected in his aura if the surprise on the gelfa's faces were any indication. Mated to him, was he? How glorious. He'd always thought the mortal tendency to apply words and labels to every little thing was infantile, but suddenly he could see the charm in it.

"I don't kiss and tell," he grinned, "but I _will_ say that the good Captain and I have no qualms about our differences. We're quite content." The gelfa traded looks of mild bewilderment, and Q's expressive eyes lit up with intrigue. "Why do you ask? Are the gelfa more gossipy than I'd expected?"

Strenn shook his head. "It is not that. It is…" He looked helplessly to his sister, and Vi'ik sighed and sat down on a makeshift log bench, folding her hands in her lap.

"It is our Sky Gods, Waduk and Dristat."

Q hummed. "Your moons, yes I remember. What of them?"

"It is a long tale to tell."

"Lucky for you, I have time to kill."

Vi'ik's large eyes drew to the forest floor, her hands gripping each other a little more tightly. Her brother sat beside her, and just to complete the picture, Q snapped a cozy fire into life between them and sat down cross-legged on the other side of the flames.

"Long ago, our world was awash in light and darkness, and only nothingness existed in between. Waduk was the most powerful of our Gods. He lorded the night sky and kept our people safe in the darkness, allowing life to thrive throughout the land. He was a protector of the weak and innocent, a fair and just God, hated only by Rem - the God of all light - who was jealous of the people's love and admiration for him. He wished to lash out at Waduk to satiate his fury, but he could only exist in the world of light, as Waduk could only exist in darkness."

Q rested his chin in his hand. "Gods are always so petty, aren't they?"

Strenn readily continued where his sister left off. "Rem hatched a plan to destroy Waduk without leaving his realm of light. Just before the light faded he plucked a shred of crimson from the sky, and with it he created a deity of both light and darkness which he named Dristat. He told Dristat to seduce Waduk, gain his trust, kill him, and then bring back his head as proof of the slaying. If Dristat was to succeed, Rem would give him a spot in the sky beside him so that they might snuff out the night and create a land of eternal light."

The fire crackled and Q found himself annoyed that he actually wanted to hear the end of this ridiculous legend. The gelfa seemed to have a flare for storytelling. Vi'ik didn't leave the silence gaping for too long, and easily continued where her brother finished as though she'd told this story around the fireside a hundred times, which she probably had. "Dristat came to Waduk when the night was at its darkest, disguised as a worshipper. He called to him and proclaimed his devotion, but Waduk did not believe him. Dristat promised him everything he could ever want if only they could embrace, but Waduk turned him away again and again. As the morn approached, Dristat asked Waduk what he might do to convince him of his sincerity, and Waduk asked only that Dristat show himself as he truly was, for there is no beauty in deception. Desperate to win Waduk's favor, Dristat agreed, and just as morning peeked over the mountains he revealed his true form, splendidly transformed in the crimson light of dawn, and Waduk fell in love with what he saw. He vowed himself to Dristat, and Dristat found he could not kill Waduk, for he had fallen in love with him in turn."

Q was absolutely not engrossed in the story, not even a little bit, but the tale was obviously nearing its end and Q just really wanted to get on with things. "And they lived happily ever after, I presume, while occasionally throwing insults and dirty looks at Rem?"

"Well," Strenn continued, "Dristat knew Rem would destroy him if he found he'd been betrayed, so he journeyed to the high mountains and slew the beast that dwelled there to present his head to Rem. But Rem was not fooled, and in his anger he tore Dristat asunder and flung him into the nothingness that existed between light and darkness."

It was clear from the way Vi'ik's eyes suddenly glimmered and how she eagerly leaned nearer to the fire that the next part of the story was her favorite to tell. "When Waduk awoke, he realized what had happened and mourned the loss of his love. His tears fell through the night, creating lakes and oceans, and when the morn approached, the crimson light of a new dawn revived Dristat, pulling him from the nothingness that no longer was. Dristat joined Waduk in the sky so that they might never part again."

When he was quite sure that the story had finally reached its end, Q clapped into his palm enthusiastically. "Bravo, bravo! Truly, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I can't exactly say I love sappy endings - a little trite in my opinion, but the attempted murder and beast slaying really pulled it all together." He propped up one knee, laying his arm over it. "Now, would you mind telling me what all of that has to do with Picard and myself?"

The siblings traded a look before answering. Vi'ik spoke first. "The stories of our Sky Gods teach many lessons, but the tale of Waduk and Dristat teaches us that love has no boundary. Waduk is a God of the night, and Dristat a deity born of crimson light; despite their differences, their love transcended nature and they shared each other for eternity."

Q's brows slowly raised. "Ah, I see. When you first saw us together, you _knew_ we were different, but you also knew we were mated, so you naturally assumed we were your lovey-dovey Gods."

The gelfa shifted somewhat bashfully. "We… had always been told that the Sky Gods looked nothing like us, that we could not comprehend their form. We weren't sure what else to-"

"No no," Q waved a hand in the air dismissively, "it's quite alright, you don't have to explain." He sighed. "I do have _one_ question for you. If you could clearly see the differences in our auras, why did you pick Picard out as Waduk? You must have noticed there was a sizable power difference between us, and if your story is anything to go by, it seems to me Waduk was the more powerful God."

Stren's large eyes softened. "We… were confused. We saw so much darkness and light tangled together in your aura, we just thought…"

Q chuckled. "Yes, I imagine it's a hot mess to look at, and I'll bet Captain Picard's aura was pure and true in comparison. Say no more." He stood up, needlessly brushing off his fake uniform. "Well, this has been barrels of fun. You've been very hospitable, even if I wasn't strictly deserving of it."

Vi'ik stood, clasping her hands together at her chest. "You are welcome here anytime," she said earnestly, "you have been very honest with us, and we appreciate that. Your bond with the Captain Picard is strong, and we wish you nothing but happiness and bliss." Beside her, Strenn nodded in agreement, a small smile forming on his lips, the first Q had ever seen. Smiles suited the gelfa, he thought.

A curious sensation ripped through Q then, something chilly and sick but so very different from the feeling that brought him here to the ship. He stared at the frail little creatures, his eyes reflecting what was unpleasantly coiling in his center like a venomous snake. "You're very sharp, you know, the both of you." he said, his voice soft and lacking the edge of sarcasm he'd been trying so hard to keep up. "Inquisitive, resilient, perhaps a little naive but that certainly never stopped anyone. Kind. Resourceful. Strangely fearless in the face of the unknown. I would have liked to see you grow, I would have liked to see where you ended up in a few million years. The universe doesn't know what it's missing."

The silence that permeated the humid clearing after Q finished speaking was possibly the most uncomfortable moment of Q's entire existence. He hadn't meant to say the words, not really, they'd sort of spilled out of his clumsy human mouth like some kind of word vomit. The gelfa stared at him with round eyes, doubling his discomfort, and for a wild moment Q considered turning back the clock to just before he'd said those strange things. Instead, another idea wormed into his mind, something that made him feel more like himself but still not quite there.

He cast his eyes on Vi'ik, offering her a smile he hoped was reassuring. "My dear, might you object to giving me a lock of your hair? I'd tell you what it was for, but it would spoil the surprise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unpopular opinion: Riker is not always an intolerable prick lol. I see him written that way more often than not - a lot of the time he’s even depicted as a bit of a homophobe - but honestly I tend to think that characterization is a bit harsh! I think the Bearded One can be reasoned with. And if anyone can do it, it’s Jean-Luc imo
> 
> Almost done! One more chapter to go, and then I can focus 100% on the third installment I’m working on. I’ve already got a fair chunk of it written, but it’s going to be much longer than the two that came before it so I might not be able to start posting it right away, since I still have heavy edits to do on the first several chapters. It’s gonna be longggg D:
> 
> Please leave a comment/review if you enjoyed! ヽ(〃･ω･)ﾉ


	7. Chapter 7

Since the night they'd merged their consciousness, Jean-Luc hadn't been without Q for a single night.

Perhaps it was silly to assume that this was the new standard considering Q had the entire universe to explore at his leisure, but it still felt wrong coming back to an empty cabin at the end of his shift. It seemed pathetic to miss someone he'd just seen that morning, but Jean-Luc knew that was only half of the problem. Q could be anywhere - or any time, for that matter - and it was disheartening to remember that he had no way to contact Q if the need arose. He considered trying to use the abstract form of telepathy he shared with Q to call for him, but he didn't want to do anything hasty without good reason. Q had no obligation to meet him in his quarters each day, he wasn't a dog, Jean-Luc just wished he might leave a note so he knew what to expect.

After a light dinner, a shower and a bit of reading, Jean-Luc turned in early. The bed was cold and his body felt even colder. It was alarming how quickly he had grown accustomed to Q's touch each night, his presence, how habitual the pleasure and contact had become. He tried hard not to think about Q's strong hands on his body, the tender way his fingers explored and caressed, the way he kissed his chest or his lips or any other part of him, heated and amorous and beautifully tenacious. Jean-Luc shifted uncomfortably. _Damn it all_. He wasn't in the habit of pleasuring himself in his bed like a younger man with poor impulse-control, but the stiffness rapidly growing in his shorts was becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

Jean-Luc's hand glided under the sheets and slipped under the band of his shorts, halting there for a moment of silent contemplation before continuing on. He shut his eyes, focusing on Q, filling his mind with thoughts of touching him, kissing him, making love to him. As his hand traveled down, his fingers touched another hand that was not his.

( _What sort of lover am I, forcing you to endure this all alone?_ )

He was too stunned to shout. Jean-Luc's eyes snapped open and he stared down at the lump under the sheets that had appeared looming over his legs, watching with blown open eyes as the lump shifted, positioning itself over Jean-Luc's groin.

" _Q_ …!" Jean-Luc's head dropped back onto his pillow and dragged a deep breath through his lips. "Q, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Oh I think your heart is just fine," Q mused, his voice muffled under the sheets. Jean-Luc thought to be embarrassed about what Q had nearly caught him doing but simply couldn't manage it, especially once Q began slowly peeling him out of his shorts. "If your glorious lower half has anything to say about it, I'd say my visit was somewhat overdue." Q rose over Jean-Luc's unsheathed cock, laying a wonderfully soft kiss to the leaking tip. Jean-Luc let out a low groan, pleasure lancing through him, his longing forming a tight knot in his stomach. Q let out a slow, shuddering sigh against his thigh, sharing in the sensation.

( _I'm sorry I'm late_.) The entity's voice was soft and sincere, reaching deep into Picard's mind to show him how greatly he was missed during their time apart, which in turn prompted Jean-Luc to send him back the same sentiment. ( _I promise I won't make a habit of staying away from you like that_.)

 _You have nothing to apologize for_. Jean-Luc thought, audibly gasping when Q's hand circled around his cock, giving it a slow, firm stroke. _Is... ooohh… is everything alright?_

( _I had some… business. It was more time-consuming than I'd counted on_.) Q nuzzled Jean-Luc's cock, laying loving kisses to the tight flesh up and down the shaft.

 _'Late'? And now 'time-consuming'? Q, you're frightening me._ Jean-Luc managed a breathy laugh which was quickly broken by a deep moan when Q's lips formed a tight circle and enveloped the mushroom head of his cock, sucking lightly but with determined purpose. Q held his hips down and slowly devoured his cock to the base, working his tongue diligently against the underside, a tremor of urgent bliss vibrating in his throat.

( _Do you know how much I love this cock?_ ) Q's voice was deeply embedded in Jean-Luc's consciousness, encompassing his every thought, overpowering his senses so that all Jean-Luc could feel was the pleasure of his body and the worship of his mind. Q sucked him hard, his head bobbing under the sheets until Jean-Luc couldn't bear not seeing what was happening anymore and ripped the sheets away, nearly coming on the spot when he saw Q crouched over his groin, naked, sucking him with sluttish enthusiasm. Jean-Luc fell back, a hand covering his face just to dull the stimuli threatening to fling him over the edge. Q could feel him on the brink and unmercifully pressed on. ( _I never understood all of this, the mortal need for physical intimacy, the messy act of copulation… Even by Q standards I found myself repulsed by it all. But this_ cock…) Q pulled his mouth off of Jean-Luc's twitching organ, stroking his length steadily and applying gentle pressure to the base to stave off Jean-Luc's impending release. "Not yet," Q teased darkly, and Jean-Luc could feel those dark eyes on him, watching him heave in ecstasy. "I'm not done with you just yet. Where was I? Oh, yes. I was telling you how much I adore this beautiful penis of yours."

A cry of surprised pleasure caught in Jean-Luc's throat when he felt a hot tongue caress his testicles. An equally hot mouth took one inside and sucked, effortlessly rendering Jean-Luc completely incoherent. Q continued, keeping that firm ring of pressure around the base of Picard's cock while greedily mouthing and sucking his balls. ( _The more I grew to love you, the more the desire grew within me to experience mortal pleasures with you. The first time I took your cock inside me I knew I could no longer live without it. The bliss was so much greater than I ever thought it could be, all of the pleasure to be found in the universe paled in comparison to the feeling of your thick, hot, amazing cock pumping inside my tender mortal depths_.)

"Q… _God_ , Q I…"

( _I spend an absurd amount of time thinking about it. How you make me feel, how much I desire you, how desperate I've become for this gorgeous cock each and every day. No, every minute. You've become my religion, and your amazing cock is my holy communion_.)

Jean-Luc couldn't think. Q's words were crashing over him with intentional clarity, ensuring he caught every word of praise and worship, building him up to a dangerously violent orgasm. Q's mouth moved back up the length of Jean-Luc's cock, kissing along the way until finally plunging the entire length back into his mouth, sucking hard, releasing the pressure. Jean-Luc's spine bowed off the bed, grounded only by Q's large hands on his hips. Not long after Jean-Luc was coming hard, possibly harder than he'd ever come before, crying out Q's name as the entity gripped his hips and eagerly swallowed every warm spurt, sharing his lover's pleasure. When Jean-Luc's convulsions began to taper off, Q pulled his mouth away and crawled up over his Captain, staring down at him with a soft expression that could only be described as adoring. Though there was still a thick haze of pleasure obscuring his clarity and Jean-Luc hadn't blushed since he was a young man, he distinctly felt heat rise in his neck and jaw.

"Tell me that you love me," Q's voice was very soft but strangely beseeching, his dark eyes tracing over each and every line and angle of Jean-Luc's face. Jean-Luc was boneless and heaving, but he could certainly summon enough strength to oblige such an appealing request.

"Oh, I love you. I love you, Q."

Q's eyes closed for a moment, as though he were savoring something delicious. He opened them again, his expression suddenly subdued. "Tell me you would never leave me, not even if I broke one of your rules."

Jean-Luc's breath caught in his throat and his mechanical heart issued a dull pang of worry. He frowned up at Q, eyes full of concern, and when he instinctively reached out to touch Q's mind with his own he found a hefty bulwark keeping him from Q's innermost thoughts and ideas. He might have been offended if he wasn't busy feeling so uneasy.

"Q, what's wrong? What's happened?"

"Just say the words, Jean-Luc, _please_. Even if it's a lie, I need to hear you say it."

Alright, _now_ he was a little offended. Jean-Luc summoned enough strength in his arms to push himself up, and Q followed his movement, sitting back on Jean-Luc's thighs so that they might meet eye-to-eye.

"I'll say the words, but I need you to understand that I would never lie to you. Never." Jean-Luc raised a hand to cup Q's face, and once again Q shut his eyes to lean his cheek into his palm. "I'm not going anywhere. At this point I'm not sure there is anything you could do to drive me away, is that understood?"

"That's a bold statement." Q's voice was low and vaguely menacing, but Jean-Luc immediately recognized it as the tone of someone who was attempting to hide behind icy resolve. "You don't even know what I've done, if anything at all, or which rule of yours may have been breached." Q arched a brow, his expression darkly challenging. It harkened back to a time when the two of them were in a very different sort of relationship. "Aren't you worried? It might already be too late, you know."

Jean-Luc wasn't buying it. He could see the trepidation and fear plainly in Q's eyes - he'd gotten good at interpreting his deceptive nature over the years, but anymore it seemed almost second nature - and the overly confident manner in which Q held himself implied Q could crumble at any moment. "So why give me any kind of warning? Why bring it up at _all_? Q, stop this. If you won't tell me what all this is about, the least you can do is keep from insulting me."

As he'd predicted, Q's air of superior mystery melted away the instant the words left Jean-Luc's lips, his piercing eyes shining with sudden concern and regret. "I didn't mean to-"

"Yes, Q, you did. You've come here to presumably ask my permission to do something - what it is I couldn't hazard a guess - and instead of speaking with me honestly you've chosen to insult me by implying that my 'rules' are more important to me than you are. As though our relationship balances precariously on a knife edge of strict mandates."

Q looked rather hurt, and for a moment Jean-Luc feared he might just snap away like the last time they'd had a disagreement. Instead, Q slumped forward and lay his forehead against Jean-Luc's shoulder, a clear admission of defeat.

"Old habits," Q murmured. Jean-Luc knew exactly what he meant. Another moment passed in silence until Q spoke again, softly. "I'm sorry." he said. Jean-Luc felt a small swelling of relief and twined his arms around Q's body, locking his hands at the base of Q's spine.

"I know."

"I was frightened." Q continued numbly. "I've only experienced this _utterly_ disagreeable sensation a handful of times, but Jean-Luc, the thought of being without you is infinitely worse than having my powers stripped away by the Continuum. It goes well beyond terror. It's crippling, it's gnawing, it's completely irrational and I _know_ that but somehow simply knowing doesn't help."

Jean-Luc tightened his hold. "Q… What you're describing, I'd say it's normal but…" He breathed deep and slow through his nose. "...it _is_ normal, normal for a human. But for a Q…" Suddenly the mental wall Q erected to repel him made sense. Jean-Luc's brow furrowed and his concern grew ten-fold. "Is that why you're blocking me out? Are you… ashamed of what you're feeling? You don't want me to see...?"

Q's body relaxed a fraction, as if all the tension in his body was maintained by this one cryptic mechanism. "Oh, it's a _mess_ in there," he groaned. "You'd just complain that the wallpaper didn't match the carpet if I let you in right now, trust me."

Jean-Luc's mouth twitched into a fond grin. "It's a real pain, you know, trying to decode your ridiculously indirect method of telling me things."

The bulwark began to sag and give, a tendril of Q's consciousness reaching out to touch Jean-Luc at his center in apology. He could feel the pinpricks of anxiety inside of Q's mind, the strangely human brand of doubt and worry that seemed so deeply seeded in the web of Q's consciousness. Just a few hours ago when last they were together, Jean-Luc hadn't felt anything like this, not even a hint.

"How much relative time has it been since you've last seen me?" Jean-Luc asked, gently prying them apart to look into Q's eyes. "What's happened?"

Q sighed. "Longer than the few hours since you've last seen _me_ , that's for certain. As for what's happened, technically it hasn't happened yet. Or has it? I honestly couldn't tell you. I have to get back and check on things, but I couldn't stand being away from you for so long."

Jean-Luc felt a pang of concern and loneliness deep inside and Q shared it, his expression pinching in guilt. Jean-Luc waved a hand before Q could voice the apology he could feel building beyond the broken pieces of that wall. "This thought-sharing has its benefits, but sometimes it's aggravating to have my brain tell you what I'm feeling before my mouth has the chance." Jean-Luc said. "Yes, I'm worried. Yes, I'm hurt that I can't share non-linear time with you, but I understand that's just the way things are. And I can't deny that I dislike this secrecy, but I trust you. Overwhelmingly so."

"A fact that continues to elude and delight me." Q admitted with a wry smile.

"Just tell me one thing: when will I discover what's really going on?" Jean-Luc asked, quietly.

Q's eyes softened and his gaze dropped to Jean-Luc's mouth before leaning in to kiss him. ( _Sooner than you'd expect, mon capitaine. I promise_.)

 _Good_. Jean-Luc tilted his head, opening his mouth to curl his tongue against Q's. Together they fell back onto the bed, Jean-Luc's hands in Q's hair, bodies pressed firmly together. _Before you go, then, kiss me some more. That's an order_.

Q smiled into the kiss, and Jean-Luc could feel some of the storm clouds clearing away, the doubt withering under the weight of Q's affection for him.

He hoped it was enough.

.

.

.

Q was gone in the morning. Jean-Luc wasn't surprised, but it didn't make it less lonely or worrisome.

The night's events played out like a dream in his mind, a whirlwind of pleasure and emotion that never quite reached a satisfying conclusion or understanding. They'd been honest with each other but somehow honesty wasn't good enough. There was something wrong. Picard wasn't certain what that something was, but he suspected it had something to do with whatever 'business' Q was getting up to. Where in time had he gone? For what reason? Jean-Luc could only begin to speculate, but the whole ordeal made him feel rather useless to Q. He wasn't dependable enough, immortal enough, incorporeal enough. Of course those thoughts were useless and achingly inaccurate, but uncertainty breeds contempt and Jean-Luc's contempt was determined to focus on the shortcomings of his own mortality.

"Captain, is everything alright?"

Deanna's voice broke through the haze of distraction that had taken hold of Jean-Luc despite his many attempts to snuff it out under his boot. Jean-Luc's brows raised and he offered the dark-haired woman on his left a placating smile.

"Quite alright, Counselor. Thank you."

"It's just that you seem a tad distracted," Deanna continued conversationally, crossing one leg over the other and resting her hands in her lap.

Jean-Luc relaxed out of instinct, partly because Deanna had successfully reminded him that he couldn't get away with lying when she was around, partly because her change in posture rather reminded him of his extended time on her couch. "Perhaps I am, if only a little." In reply to Deanna's concerned frown, Picard raised a hand and waved it dismissively. "I assure you everything's fine."

"Well, if you're sure. But you know, I-"

"Captain," Data's voice chimed with his unique note of alarm, frowning down at the console in front of him, "I am receiving an unusual transmission from a nearby system, bearing 332 mark 4."

Picard turned his attention to his commander. "What sort of transmission?"

"It is being transmitted from a class-M planet, but beyond that I am uncertain," Data admitted, his hands deftly working the console, "The signal is weak. I am attempting to clear it up now."

Jean-Luc stood from the command chair, tugging his uniform smartly. "Let me know the moment you do."

"Aye, Captain."

As was typical of Data, it didn't take long to complete his task. On the Captain's order, the transmission was played for the bridge crew to hear.

" _...lo, I... ...this, and I'm… and… figure you will, considering… not… Jean-Luc… … down, to… and… … explain_."

All eyes were on Picard after the transmission ended. The recording was horribly mangled from either damage or time or both, but the Captain's name had come through quite clearly. No one quite knew what to say, but fortunately Jean-Luc's word was the only one that was required.

"Mr. Data, you said this transmission is coming from a nearby planet."

"Yes, sir. However, there is a problem." Data turned to Picard, yellow eyes shining under his furrowed brow. "If our star charts are accurate, the planet in question does not exist."

A pause, and then: "Explain."

"I am reading a planet less than twelve light years from our position, but our database does not acknowledge its existence." Data continued. "This system has been thoroughly charted. There is no reason I can discern that would explain the appearance of this planet, or how it came to be here."

The pieces were coming together, but Jean-Luc really wished they wouldn't. He turned around, eyes hard and focused, brushing his hand over his mouth. "Play that transmission again."

Data tapped his console and the scratchy recording played again over the comm. Jean-Luc shut his eyes, unbelieving that he hadn't recognized that voice the first time, regardless of how butchered it was. There were countless oddities Jean-Luc expected Q was capable of, but none of them were as ridiculously unnecessary as recording a message for him to find on a planet of mysterious origin when they'd just seen each other _last night_.

"Mr. Data, set a course for that planet immediately and tell me the moment we are within transporter range. You have the bridge." Jean-Luc strode to the turbolift, feeling the confused stares of his bridge crew on his back.

Deanna shot up from her chair. "Captain, where are you going?"

"I'm beaming down to the planet." Jean-Luc answered, stepping inside the lift and meeting Deanna's bewildered eyes for only a moment before the doors slid shut.

.

.

.

The Captain's departure to the planet's surface was met with varied opposition, but ultimately there was no stopping him. Within minutes he was beamed onto the planet's surface, no away team to accompany him, straight to the coordinates of the transmission which was thankfully - and no doubt strategically - positioned in an area with no discernible life signs for miles. It was easy enough to tell that the planet was home to a pre-warp civilization, and regardless of Q's shenanigans Picard was in no mood to violate the Prime Directive today.

Jean-Luc found himself in a lush clearing near a dense line of trees. A forest lay just beyond, laden with familiar looking flora and dense purple foliage. The grass under his feet was thick and healthy, crunching under his boots as he approached the obvious blemish in the otherwise fairy tale landscape. It was a satellite, decades old, half-buried in the ground and covered with thin, delicately flowering vines. Had it crashed here and simply never been found? Jean-Luc knelt to give it a closer look, brushing a hand over the smooth domed top.

"Alright, Q. I believe I've waited long enough. It's time to tell me what this is all about."

A gentle wind carried in from the mountains and the grass made a sweet sound as it swayed and bent. Jean-Luc could feel the familiar presence manifest behind him as he stood up, and when he turned, Q was staring him down with his arms crossed over his chest, his expression uncharacteristically blank.

"What do you think?" Q finally asked, glancing around.

"It's beautiful," Jean-Luc answered without looking. "But I'm much more interested in why you've chosen to bring me here. Where did this satellite come from, and when did you record that message for me?"

Q shrugged. "Hundreds of years ago. A few minutes ago. It's all the same, isn't it?"

Jean-Luc stepped closer. "The Federation database doesn't recognize this planet, despite the system being rather well-charted. It's almost as though it came into existence only a few hours ago." His jaw tightened out of habit. "I thought perhaps you might know something about how this might have happened."

Q pulled a deep breath through his nose, turning to face the line of trees. He said nothing for some time, until finally Jean-Luc let out an exasperated sigh.

"Q, please just _tell_ me. I understand well enough that you've done something you're certain I'll be upset about, but I promise you I'm not going anywhere." He walked to Q and stood beside him, hands folded at the low of his back, where he intended to wait for as long as it took. Thankfully, it didn't take long.

"You asked me not to interfere with your missions. I'm afraid I've done a fair bit more than interfere, _mon capitaine_."

"Well, you've never really been the sort to do things halfway," Jean-Luc quipped.

The corner of Q's mouth twitched. "No, I suppose not."

Jean-Luc glanced back to the forest, squinting in the sunlight to better see the trees that had seemed so familiar before. Their trunks were twisting and ribbed, and their leaves were huge and brightly colored in shades of purple and red. Jean-Luc frowned, lips parting to issue a tight intake of breath as he realized where he'd seen those giant leaves before.

"Q… This planet, it looks just like-"

"Not 'just like', Jean-Luc, there are some pesky variances I couldn't quite avoid. Such is life. The atmosphere is decent enough, though the humidity in this region is rather poor. The northern and eastern regions are much better if you enjoy that sticky wet style of living, so the gelfa tribes have all settled there."

It was difficult not to gawk at Q as if he'd just announced he was the newly appointed goodwill ambassador for the Continuum. " _Gelfa_ tribes? Q, you didn't."

"I thought it was pretty clear by now that I _did_." Q answered stiffly.

Jean-Luc turned on his heel, bringing a hand to his brow and pacing the grassy clearing for a moment of consideration. Q stood rigid, waiting for his lover's next words, his anxiety trembling behind the fragility of his mental dam. After a time, Jean-Luc turned to stare at Q's back.

"You created this planet?" he asked carefully.

"I… may have nudged some hydrogen and helium together several billion years ago." Q turned to face him, wearing a half-hearted grin. "Who knew a planet would have formed as a result?"

"A planet with strikingly similar atmosphere and flora to the original gelfa homeworld. And perfectly placed twin moons, at that."

"Just how many planets have you stumbled across that bear an uncanny resemblance to your Earth?" Q pointed out. "Coincidences are bound to happen in this vast universe."

Jean-Luc rubbed his forehead. "You mentioned tribes of gelfa living here. _Gelfa_ , Q." His voice became more hushed. "Don't tell me they just popped up out of the ground. And you needn't point out the repetitiveness of the universe to me again, either."

"You can thank Vi'ik." Q said. Was that a smile of fondness? "Somehow a strand of her hair ended up in the primordial ooze of the planet - I have no idea how - and as a result, her DNA shaped the life that came to be. There are minor differences, of course, but evolution is a fickle mistress and I was trying to interfere as little as possible. Still, the gelfa living here are identical to Vi'ik and Strenn in nearly every way that matters." He turned, surveying the fields. "You might say Vi'ik is the mother of her entire race. I wouldn't tell the little goblin that, however. Wouldn't want her to get a big head."

Silence permeated the gap between them. Jean-Luc was staring at the ground, eyes fixed on the grass under his boots. It was hard to wrap his mind around, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find fault with what Q had done even when he picked through it with a Starfleet comb. He feared he'd become biased, or worse, he'd finally grown entirely unfazed to Q's prodigious displays of power. Q's voice came to him softly, suddenly close by his side.

"You're not upset with me." It was a statement, not a question. Jean-Luc glanced at him with a soft smile.

"It's hard to be upset when you've gone and performed a miracle."

Q's eyes blew open in bewilderment, and the mental wall came crashing down with a suddenness that almost knocked Jean-Luc off his feet from the inordinate amount of relief and appreciation that flooded into him.

"Are you kidding me?" Q demanded angrily, throwing his arms in the air, "You asked me not to interfere with ship business or missions, and I've done that and then some! I went behind your back and changed the course of history! What happened to your obsession with keeping your silly timeline as it is? Or letting nature take it's course?"

Jean-Luc chuckled, feeling absurdly tickled by Q's panic. "Would you rather I be furious? Maybe sit you down for a firm lecture?"

Q deflated, brows dipping in distress. "Not exactly. I just feel like I spent a whole lot of effort getting anxious over this and you don't even _care_."

Jean-Luc laughed - a good honest laugh - and pulled Q in for a kiss. The entity sighed into his mouth and wrapped his arms around him, a multitude of color rushing through Jean-Luc's senses and slipping through the cracks of his consciousness.

"No more secrets," Jean-Luc said seriously, breathing against Q's mouth, "no more secret projects. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Q sighed, resting his forehead against Jean-Luc's. "Tell me honestly, though. If I'd told you what I was planning to do, would you have forbid me?"

Jean-Luc considered it for a moment. "I'm not sure." he admitted finally. "I might have. I suppose that's the trouble, isn't it? I have no right to tell you what you can and can't do."

"Perhaps not, but - as ludicrous as this is for me to admit - I have no right to interfere with Starfleet business or the natural continuity of the universe."

Jean-Luc grinned. "Then I believe this comes down to trust, not regulations. I have to accept that you'll occasionally do things that I don't - or can't - approve of, but I intend to trust you. We're sharing everything from our minds to our bodies to our lives, Q, there's no room for secrecy. Just promise me you won't keep anything from me, and I'll promise not to tell you what to do."

Q grinned in a way that crinkled the corners of his eyes. "That sounds fair enough." He kissed Jean-Luc again, deeply.

"I'm curious about something," Jean-Luc admitted softly when they parted again. "Lots of things, if I'm being honest."

Q nuzzled his neck. "I thought you might be."

"How will Strenn and Vi'ik fit in here? Surely the gelfa here have different beliefs, different ways of life. Will they be accepted?"

"I think so," Q mused. Jean-Luc sat himself down in the tall grass and Q lay down beside him, crossing his arms behind his head to gaze up at the clouds. "I might have left behind some relics detailing the finer points of gelfa belief and worship. They call their moons Waduk and Dristat, their sun Rem, and most of their silly little superstitions are the same as well. It won't be perfect, of course, but they'll certainly fit in better here than anywhere else."

"You thought of everything," Jean-Luc chuckled, leaning back on his arms. "Have you considered that Vi'ik and Strenn may not want this? They might see it as no different from the jungle on the holodeck."

"I think they'll come around. Especially when I remove their memories of the gelfa homeworld being destroyed, the _Enterprise_ , and alter some other teeny things here and there to make the minor differences here make sense to them."

Jean-Luc thought to object, but quickly realized how hypocritical it would be considering how often Starfleet used memory altering procedures in similar situations. He nodded. "I suppose that's best." He pulled a deep breath of fresh air in through his nose. "One more thing."

"Mm?"

"You didn't do this for me, Q," Jean-Luc said gently. "I know you didn't. If you had, I actually might have been more reluctant to accept all of this. You did this for the gelfa, personally and exclusively for them. Why?"

Q swallowed, his expression darkening. His emotions curled into a stormy ball of anxiety the likes of which Jean-Luc never anticipated to feel within Q. "Why indeed," Q murmured crossly. "The truth of it is, Jean-Luc, I have no idea. None whatsoever. The more I thought about their pitiful situation, the more agitated I felt. Almost restless, like something was digging into me with barbed talons. I felt… _sorry_ for them." He sighed hugely. "There must be something seriously wrong with me."

"Surely compassion isn't an entirely new concept for you," Jean-Luc gently pressed. "You nearly sacrificed yourself to save our ship once, you've saved _my_ life more than once, and-"

"It isn't just that," Q sharply met his eyes, and for the first time Jean-Luc could see fear etched in Q's expression, real fear that was almost bordering on panic. Slowly Q sat up, staring imploringly into Jean-Luc eyes as though he were trying to pull something out of him. "Lately I've been feeling all measures of unwelcome sensations that I can't begin to explain: for starters, I'm finding myself _comfortable_ in this fleshy, watery body. Do you know how ridiculous that is? The first time I took this form, I couldn't _stand_ how it felt. Flesh bodies are itchy and warm and I couldn't understand how you could possibly live with yourselves, being confined to such a horribly restricted shell, so fragile, so needy. I had no attachment to it. I just wanted to be sure I was taller than you and had more hair - neither of which changed your attitude toward me in the slightest, to my absolute frustration - but that was as far as it went. And now. Now!" Q scoffed and crossed his arms over his knees, "Now I almost feel relieved when I take this form, like I'm somehow…" He huffed a breath through tight lips, aggressively snuffing out his sentence before it could go any further.

Jean-Luc bumped Q with his shoulder. "Somehow what?" he gently urged.

Q's lip curled. "Home." He spat the word out as if it were a curse. "This body, the _Enterprise_ …. _You_. They've become home to me. And when I'm away from you, all I'm thinking about is being with you. When I'm taking another form, even my _own_ form, I ache to slip back into this flimsy mortal illusion."

Jean-Luc watched Q's expression closely, sitting directly under the growing storm cloud of Q's consciousness. "It sounds almost like you're becoming more human." he said softly. "Q… The flower you created. Is this what the stinging nettle _really_ meant? Pain and disorder?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I knew there would be changes. My knowing you had already changed me, long before you kissed me. I just thought - _hoped_ \- I'd have more control."

"And you think you haven't changed _me_?" Jean-Luc asked. "This relationship is going to change us both, but I don't intend to lose myself in it. Is that why you're feeling so much terror? Do you feel like you're… losing yourself? Losing what it is to be Q?"

Something shifted behind Q's eyes, a swelling of deep affection. He moved closer, a quiet gesture of apology. "No, it's not…" There was no sense lying when their thoughts were so intimately tangled, they both knew that, so Q fell silent and lay his head on Jean-Luc's shoulder, considering his next words carefully. "Maybe so. But even if that _is_ the case, it doesn't change anything. I can't lose you. I won't. And if that means I grow to like this body, or your silly star ship, so be it. I've always dismissed the idea of 'home' as frivolous nonsense, but if 'home' is where _you_ are, I can't imagine it will be all bad."

Jean-Luc smiled and raked his fingers tenderly through Q's hair, kissing the crown of his head. "No, I don't imagine it will." A pause, and then, "Q, you won't lose yourself, I promise you that. We've become two halves of a whole, but that doesn't make either of us less. It makes us more."

It was only a fleeting moment before they were coming together for a frantic kiss. Q lay Jean-Luc down in the clearing, leaning over him, pinning one of his hands into the lush grass, entwining their fingers together as his tongue explored the Captain's mouth.

( _I adore you, Jean-Luc, I love you so much that words just don't cut it anymore. I'm sorry I've been so cryptic and guarded_.)

 _Don't be. You've always been that way, it's what makes you_ you _, and I love you just the way you are_.

Q groaned into Jean-Luc's mouth, squeezing their hands together, pouring his love into Jean-Luc's mind like a never ending flood. The long blades of swaying grass tickled the back of Jean-Luc's head but he barely felt it, too consumed by the feeling of Q's tongue curling around his own, Q's teeth grazing over his lips. Oh, how badly he wanted to pull Q's clothes off, spread his legs and take him right here, in this beautiful clearing-

Another groan, longer and more insistent. Jean-Luc realized Q was watching his desires unfold in the shared space of their minds, granting them more clarity and substance, and very soon they were pooling their thoughts together in a hazy realm that almost couldn't be distinguished from reality. They were yanking each other's clothes off, kissing and grabbing, every touch so much more powerful than it usually was, more electric. Movement was somehow slow and hurried at the same time, the lines blurred, the colors an ever-changing kaleidoscope of sensation. Jean-Luc rolled Q over and eagerly spread his thighs apart, gripping his hips hard enough to bruise as he entered him. The pleasure was blinding. Like an erotic dream but so much more powerful, something forged between two beings who wanted nothing more than to come together as quickly as possible.

The moment was lost to time. Jean-Luc rocked into Q, claiming the space between Q's legs as his own, working to fill him so completely that Q could never forget his shape. And he couldn't, Q promised him, never ever could he forget the sensation of being fucked by Jean-Luc no matter what plane of reality they occupied.

Their release was simultaneous and explosive. The mental pleasure was rivaled only by the physical reaction that occurred in the clearing; both Jean-Luc and Q orgasmed so strongly their consciousnesses flickered, plunging both of them into darkness for several breathless moments as they held each other, panting and sated, trying to ground themselves in the physical world.

" _Mon dieu_ ," Jean-Luc gasped under his breath, opening his eyes to see that both of them were still fully clothed, and Q was still leaning over him, slightly more disheveled than before. Q grinned down at him, tracing his upper lip seductively with his tongue.

"Reality's a funny thing, isn't it?" he mused, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

"Funny," Jean-Luc repeated with a sleepy smile, struggling to keep his eyes open. "Not the word I would have used."

Q leaned down to kiss him gently. "Words mean so little."

"Ohh, I couldn't agree more."

With a snap of Q's fingers, Jean-Luc's uniform was cleaned and some of the post-orgasm haze was cleared away just in time for a voice to break through the calm to address the Captain.

"Data to Picard."

He'd nearly forgotten that time was moving as usual, and that he'd left his crew confused and in the dark when he'd beamed down. Jean-Luc sat up and tapped his badge, summoning an appropriately stern tone.

"Picard here."

"Sir, is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, Mr. Data. I'll be beaming back to the ship shortly to explain everything. Keep a lock on my signature and standby."

"Aye, sir. Data out."

Jean-Luc sighed into his hands. "I need to be getting back."

Q helped him to stand, gently brushing off Picard's uniform. "I know."

"Will I be seeing you tonight?" Jean-Luc asked hopefully. Q smiled at him.

"You couldn't keep me away. And if I ever get the urge to play God again and I think it might take a while, I'll be sure to let you know."

"That's all I ask," Jean-Luc said. He looked out at the plains again, the forest, the deep red of the mountains in the distance. The twin moons were pale and barely visible in Rem's fierce sunlight, nestled in the blue-yellow expanse of sky just past the mountains, waiting patiently for their turn to lord over the peaceful planet. Strenn and Vi'ik would be here soon, if they weren't already, and though it went against everything Starfleet stood for where natural selection was concerned, they were going to have a second chance at life. Picard couldn't help but find solace in that. "Q… What you've done here, it's wonderful."

"And strictly against prim and proper Starfleet regulations," Q chirped, but he sounded rather proud of himself. Jean-Luc grinned.

"Well, you're not Starfleet. You are Q."

"Your superiors might not feel as forgiving when they read your next report."

Jean-Luc nodded. "Lucky for me you already thought of that," he said. "Starfleet doesn't need to be reminded how planets are formed, or how many class-M planets exist in the alpha quadrant. Or the process of natural evolution, for that matter. I'm sure Starfleet will agree that none of this is unusual in the slightest."

Q gasped. "How very true!" he exclaimed wondrously, as though he'd just realized this himself.

"Though, it might be difficult explaining our good fortune locating this planet for the gelfa when officially this planet doesn't even exist," Jean-Luc murmured, rubbing his chin in thought. At Q's continued silence, Jean-Luc glanced over at him with raised brows. "Unless you allowed the _Enterprise's_ database to remain as it was before you altered history, to attract my attention to the planet."

Q shrugged. "In case the transmission wasn't enough," he offered flippantly.

Jean-Luc chuckled. "You _knew_ the transmission would be more than enough."

"For dramatic emphasis, then," Q grinned.

Jean-Luc nodded firmly. "Yes. That sounds more like you."

"You know, I've been thinking," Q spread his arms and looked down at himself, tilting his head in consideration, "I believe my uniform has been out-of-date long enough." A flash of light and Q was dressed in modern Starfleet slate-grey, a style he'd found terribly drab when he'd first seen it on Picard but had since come to tolerate. He shook out his arms, staring critically at the perfectly tailored sleeves and moved to fidget with the deep crimson turtleneck. "Sacrificing practicality for style, I see."

Jean-Luc eyed him up and down with a fond smile. "Starfleet has never been very concerned with style, but for that matter, neither have I."

"Noted. Well?" Q turned to face him, adopting a commanding posture with an edge of blatant mockery. "What do you think? Does it suit me?"

"Barely," Jean-Luc answered truthfully, but they both knew it was a compliment.

 

.

 

**To be continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two is DONE! Happy days! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I can honestly say that I haven't had this much fun writing a fanfic in _years_. I don’t usually write such long stories because my fancies change so often that it’s difficult to commit to longer fics, but TNG and Qcard have claimed my heart and soul and I don’t think they will be letting me go any time soon. I’m far from done! 
> 
> Concerning my third installment, I actually need some help deliberating how to start posting it. I was hoping to have the first several chapters polished and ready to go by the time I finished posting this fic, but things didn’t turn out that way. I’ve got about half of it written and the story is entirely planned out, but I’ve done very little editing on the chapters I've written and a lot of scenes need to be reworked. 
> 
> So, would you prefer I wait to start posting the next fic until I have enough finished chapters to keep to my weekly posting schedule? Or should I just post the chapters as I complete them? And don’t say “do whatever you want!” because I really want to know which you all prefer! It won’t affect how I write, I promise, I just really want to know which arrangement is more preferable to you, the readers. :) What do you guys think?
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading. Your comments and reviews have been unbelievably kind and inspiring, and I'm glad to have met so many of you. This fandom is undoubtedly one of the best I've ever contributed to, and I hope I can continue to write things you want to read for some time! (Sorry for the mush lmao)


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